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Christos was dogged by the police and suffered the abuse of passively hostile citizens.
Stories circulated among his friends of Roma men and boys being beaten by police, of
pregnant women who had miscarried in police holding cells, and of random arrests
followed by fake charges and extended jail times for the unfortunate Roma few used as
scapegoats by well-connected criminals and their police insiders.
Christos would have preferred a job with a legitimate transportation company but
he never pursued this thinking nobody would hire him because he had no contacts in the
business, couldn’t read or write very well, and had no government documents. In fact, he
didn’t have a national identity card, proof of residence, no driver’s license, social
insurance card, and certainly no passport. Christos was invisible to the state except for a
short police file which, according to him, listed a fake last name and a made-up
address137. This lack of documentation had several implications beyond limiting his
economic activity and shielding him from the scrutiny of the state. Christos was also
unable to access social security or welfare programs, and he had difficulty accessing the
healthcare system. Whenever he needed medical attention Christos went to his mother or
to his blood-brothers. Vasilo kept a small stock of pain killers and antibiotics for such
emergencies and was on good terms with the neighborhood pharmacist in case these
items didn’t help. Christos’ blood brothers would also look after him in case of a medical
emergency, but lacked any medical contacts or knowledge. Instead, they mostly
provided social, economic, and moral support. In terms of the former, this group was
well connected with local priests who would occasionally provide them with food,
137 It should be noted that most Roma I met had two names: a Romani first name and a Greek name.
Neither name is primary; in fact, they are often used interchangeably in the compound, albeit family
members and close friends use one’s Romani name more frequently. Christos referred to his Romani name
as his real name and claimed to have several Greek names (aliases). This hints at the complex identity
politics Christos was engaged in.