Greek Olympic venue reopened to house refugees

More than a decade has passed since Greece ran up an astronomical debt on the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Now some of what all that spending bought has found a new purpose.

Authorities have placed about 500 refugees -- most from Syria and Afghanistan -- in a venue once used for table tennis and rhythmic gymnastics, the Associated Press reported.

The Galatsi Olympic Hall, which had been shuttered, is easing the crowds of migrants and refugees camped in the central city.

Residents in the Greek capital have staged protests over the refugee crisis, and a migration official was quoted as saying that authorities would move quickly to prevent “local residents becoming susceptible to extremist, racist, xenophobic views.”