When Welcome Turns to Rejection

What causes a community once praised for rescuing refugees to later reject them? This article examines Greek islanders’ shifting attitudes during the European refugee crisis, focusing on Chios. Using the concept of ‘compassion fade’ it explores how initial empathy gave way to frustration and hostility as refugee numbers grew and media narratives changed. The study identifies key factors—economic strain, lack of support, and securitization discourse—that contributed to this emotional shift. While centred on the Aegean, the findings offer broader insights into how prolonged humanitarian crises can erode compassion, with implications for global policy and crisis response.

Compassion · Fade · Hospitality · Interdisciplinary Cultural and Social Studies · Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism · Religious Tourism and Spaces