Συζήτηση στα ελληνικά, στις Ραδιοζώνες Ανατρεπτικής Έκφρασης
https://radiozones.org/?s=solidarity+with+migrants
Report from 5 refugee camps we recently visited
Malakasa Camp
Malakasa’s entrance is closed, and the security guards are harsh with the migrants. People from the camp mentioned that the camp offers them internet access only for 8 hours a day and that at peak hours it gets extremely slow. A guy was desperate, after his brother was granted asylum but himself and his family not. His brother is a minor with a serious health condition and cannot take care of himself. There isn’t any provision from the state or camp management and the people who look after him got rejected.
Food is not good. It’ not anymore possible to them to disribute the food as it was before.
Ritsona camp
Entrance was closed. You need to ask for permission two days earlier.
Kurdish and African people were eager to speak with us. Food is inedible, ‘even the dogs don’t touch it’ they said. Lots of them are afraid to go to Athens because fear possible arrests. Lots of people with medical problems, only a few buses to Athens. Fortunately, people support themselves through community networks inside the camp but also abroad (for food, medicine etc). Many peopl want to go to Germany. Some of them were already registered in Greece, why they were afraid to be deported back to Greece.
-Not taking migrants into account when they arrive for registration
-The abandonment of the migrant to his fate once in the camp (to manage on his own to find a place to sleep)
– the administrative slowness in processing files
– Lack of support for medical care due to lack of administrative papers (police and credit card)
– The failure to provide food to migrants who do not have administrative documents
– the lack of social workers to deal with migrants’ problems
– the withdrawal of the right of IOM lawyers to assist migrants
– I.e. abandoning migrants in various legal proceedings
Schisto camp
Young migrants shared with us experiences of extreme border violence. There was a big discussion with a guy about their hatred against greek military and police, ‘’is military and police bad just in Greece or maybe everywhere?’’ A lot of young migrants work in Athens in really shitty conditions. Two of the people we talked to had prestigious university degrees (in law and in medicine respectively) but they hadn’t even thought about getting them recognised. A lot of people want to leave Greece to find a better situation in other EU countries, mostly in Germany. Food is good but people that don’t have pending asylum applications don’t eat. They support themselves through solidarity networks of their own. We heard a story of the Moroccan guy that has a girlfriend in Germany and tries to cross all the countries in between in order to be with her, the racism he faced but also the unexpected solidarity from locals and migrants and the bondsdbonds he developed. Other people’s stories that want to reunite with their families that have reached the european North.
We played some soccer with a boy and two adults. Other kids painted, played chasing games amd performed magic tricks.. People complained about the lack of activities especially for adults. When they try to organise something on their own, the camp management doesn’t provide the space.
Thiva camp
Camp is far away from Athens, 45 min walk to Thiva
In Thiva a lot of people are 4-5 years here waiting to get the documents.
Ask for some classes from NGOs maybe camp manager “does not want us to connect us with people from the outside, with Greeks, wants us to be stupid”.
Camp is run by IOM.
No activities for kids, they play one smartphone game throughout the days.
A lawyer came some time to the camp saying that the camp will be closed with special cards that you will have to show at the entrance, all the people who were rejected etc. will have to leave the camp – the lawyer said this is done under the pretense to make place for Ukrainians.
Women need a separate space for gymnastics or sport the man have football place to play and a gym, women cannot enter.
Kids boys go to other camps to play football there was a competition.
500 people 1 doctor, 5 social workers do nothing.
The only thing allowed and which is happening is 2 shops run by the refugees – the manager allowed it because people said they needed it.
Manager did not allow library to happen, to bring books from the outside
Only 5 bathroms for many rooms in bigger building.
Three protests in winter with no success, with only people from the camp, they blocked the road did not let cars go through.
Inofita camp visit
Oinofita camp
150-200 people inside, people from Afganistan and Kurds from Syria
We were not let in because the manager wants no one with a European passport inside
X who is there for 4 years, there was self-organised security and cleaning, around five month ago new manager hired security and stopped allowing entrance to organizations that even simply bring food inside (Foodkind was the one) X. works in good conditions in an aluminium production nearby.
Food is atrocious, a lot of people throw it away, although there money was cut – from 150 Euro to 75 Euro for the family as they are paying for this food now.
Everyone wants to leave Greece “no future here”.
The new manager that changed the situation to the worse is a daughter of some politician.
Train station 15 minutes walk from the camp.
IOM has a school inside for the kids but it is not good, mostly for show. Some kids are brought to outside school by bus. But it is only for kids not education for adults.
P.S: Photos from Schisto and Thiva camp
Letter from an Afgan refugee for the refugees from Ukraine, Palaistine etc.
Γράμμα από Αφγανό πρόσφυγα για τους/τις πρόσφυγες από την Ουκρανία,, την Παλαιστίνη κ.α
scroll for english
Μετά το workshop για τον πόλεμο και τη μετανάστευση, που πραγματοποιήσαμε με συμμετοχή ανθρώπων από την Ουκρανία, τη Ρωσία, το Ιράν και ντόπια άτομα, δημοσιεύουμε κείμενο που λάβαμε από Αφγανό μετανάστη για το ίδιο θέμα
”Οι άνθρωποι που ξεφεύγουν από τον πόλεμο στην Ουκρανία είναι ευπρόσδεκτοι παντού στην Ευρώπη. Αυτό είναι ένα πολύ ευχάριστο γεγονός και πραγματικά χαιρόμαστε που βλέπουμε μία τέτοια υποδοχή. Τους νοιώθουμε, νιώθουμε τον πόνο και τα συναισθήματά τους. Και ξέρουμε ότι και οι ίδιοι/ες μας νιώθουν, νιώθουν την λύπη μας… Μπορούν να καταλάβουν ότι αφήσαμε τις χώρες μας και όλον τον πόνο που νιώσαμε αφήνοντας τα αγαπημένα μας πρόσωπα. Είναι λοιπόν πολύ σημαντική αυτή η θερμή υποστήριξη προς τους/τις πρόσφυγες από την Ουκρανία.
Άνθρωποι υποφέρουν στην Παλαιστίνη, στην Ουκρανία, στο Αφγανιστάν, στην Υεμένη και σε τόσες άλλες χώρες του κόσμου. Ο πόλεμος είναι πόλεμος. Όπου κι αν είναι, άνθρωποι πεθαίνουν. Γιατί λοιπόν για τους μη Ευρωπαίους εμφανίζονται τόσα εμπόδια για φτάσουν σε ένα ασφαλές μέρος; Γιατί δεν τους υποδέχονται όπως υποδέχονται και τους Ουκρανούς; Γιατί είναι τα σύνορα κλειστά για εμάς; Πολλοί/ες πρόσφυγες από μη ευρωπαϊκές χώρες κοιμούνται στον δρόμο. Πολλοί/ες πρόσφυγες φοβούνται μήπως τους πάρουν τα αποτυπώματα πριν φτάσουν στη Γερμανια, τη Γαλλία ή την Αγγλία, όπου τους περιμένουν οι οικογένειές τους.
Πολλοί/ες από εμάς περιμένουμε χρόνια για να λάβουμε μία απάντηση μετά από την συνέντευξη για το άσυλο. Η Ευρώπη άνοιξε τα σύνορά της για ανθρώπους που φεύγουν από την Ουκρανία. Εν τω μεταξύ, άνθρωποι από την Αφρική και την Ασία πεθαίνουν στη Μεσόγειο. Πνιγμένοι και ξεχασμένοι. Πόσοι άνθρωποι πεθαίνουν από την πείνα και την δίψα στα ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα; Πόσοι άνθρωποι πεθαίνουν από το κρύο επειδή δεν έχουν κανέναν τρόπο να ζεσταθούν μες τη μέση του δάσους; Πόσοι άνθρωποι έχουν δολοφονηθεί από συνοριακές αστυνομικές δυνάμεις; Χτυπημένοι, επαναπροωθημένοι, αγνοημένοι, αφήνονται να πεθάνουν μέσα στη θάλασσα ή σε ποτάμια. Πόσοι άνθρωποι αυτοκτόνησαν εξαιτίας του πόνου και της απελπισίας τους; Πόσοι άνθρωποι έπεσαν σε εξαρτήσεις όπως τα ναρκωτικά και το αλκοόλ για να ξεχάσουν τις δυσκολίες και τα προβλήματα αυτού του αδιανόητου ταξιδιού στην Ευρώπη; Δεν είναι άνθρωποι αυτοί; Δεν είμαστε κομμάτι της ανθρωπότητας;
Υπάρχουν κάποιοι άνθρωποι στην Ευρώπη που μας κοιτάν λες και είμαστε επικίνδυνα σκυλιά έτοιμα να τους δαγκώσουμε. Αυτό είναι ρατσισμός. Όπως όλοι εσείς, έτσι κι εμείς έχουμε οικογένεια, φίλους και αγάπη. Κι έχουμε συναισθήματα. Ελπίζουμε ότι αυτή η αλληλεγγύη που δείχνει η Ευρώπη προς τους Ουκρανούς πρόσφυγες θα συνεχιστεί και ταυτόχρονα θα εκφραστεί και προς όλους τους πρόσφυγες παγκοσμίως. Αισθανόμαστε μεγάλη θλίψη όταν σκεφτόμαστε την Ουκρανία, γιατί μας ξυπνάει επώδυνες αναμνήσεις από την αρχή του πολέμου στο Αφγανιστάν. Ήταν το ίδιο: εξαιτίας του πολέμου, πολλοί από εμάς δεν μπορούσαμε να πάμε σχολείο. Γενιές Αφγανών μεγάλωσαν με την αγωνία για το τι θα φάνε την επόμενη μέρα και για το πώς θα επιβιώσουν. Γι’ αυτό λοιπόν μισούμε τον πόλεμο. Δεν θέλουμε να αρχίσει κανένας πόλεμος πουθενά στον κόσμο. Θέλουμε οι άνθρωποι να πηγαίνουν σχολείο. Δεν θέλουμε να περάσει κανείς και καμία αυτά που περάσαμε εμείς για να διασχίσουμε τα ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα. Θέλουμε να έχουν όλοι/ες μία καλή και χαλαρή ζωή: κανείς δεν πρέπει να βιώσει τον πόνο που βιώσαμε εμείς. Ευχόμαστε σε όλους/ες ένα καλό μέλλον, θέλουμε μία καλή ζωή για τα παιδιά μας. Θέλουμε ένα καλό μέλλον για ολόκληρη την ανθρωπότητα”.
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Letter from an Afgan refugee for the refugees from Ukraine, Palaistine etc.
After the workshop about War and Migration which we held recently, with the participation of people from Russia, Ukraine, Iran and locals, we publish this letter from an Afgan migrant about the same topic
”Those people who are escaping from the war in Ukraine are welcomed everywhere in Europe. Everyone is hosting them and giving them a place where they can sleep safe. This is a great thing that people are doing and we’re all very glad to see how they are welcomed. We can feel them, their pain, their feelings. And we know that now they can also feel us, our sorrow…they can understand why we left our countries and the pain we felt leaving our loved ones. Therefore it’s very important that refugees from Ukraine can find a warm support.
People are suffering in Palestine, in Ukraine, in Afghanistan, in Yemen and many other countries in the world. War is war. Wherever it is, people die. Then, why not European people are finding so many obstacles to reach a safe place? Why are not they welcomed in the same way Ukrainian people are? Why the border are closed for us? Many refugees from not European countries are sleeping in the street. Many refugees have to fear that their fingerprints could be taken while going to Germany, France or England where their families are waiting for them. Many of us wait years to have an answer after their asylum interview. Europe opened the borders for people coming from Ukraine. In the while people from Africa and Asia are dying in the Mediterranean sea. Drowned and forgotten. How many people die of hunger and thirst at European borders? How many people die of cold because they have no way to warm up themselves in the middle of the forest? How many people are killed by border security forces? Beaten, pushed back, ignored, let die at sea and in rivers. How many people killed themselves because of their pain and their desperation? How many people fall into excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol to forget the difficulties and problems of the impossible journey to Europe? Are those not humans? Aren’t we part of humanity?
There are some people in Europe that look at us as we were dangerous dogs ready to bite them. This is racism. But like all of you we also have family, friends and love. We also have feelings. We hope that this solidarity that Europe is showing towards Ukrainian refugees keep going and that the same solidarity will be expressed towards all the refugees around the world. We feel very sad when we think about Ukraine because it brings back painful memories of when the war in Afghanistan began. It was the same: because of the war many of us couldn’t go to school. Generations of Afghans have grown up thinking about what to eat the next day and how to survive. So, because of that we hate the war. We don’t want any war to start anywhere in the world. We want people to go to school. We don’t want that anyone have to go through what we had to go through at European borders. We want everyone to have a good and relax life: none should live the same pain we lived. We hope for everyone a good future, we want for our children a good life. We want a good future for the whole humanity”.
Common block of locals and migrants in the feminist demo of 8th March, 2022
Κοινό μπλοκ μεταναστριών – ντόπιων στη φεμινιστική πορεία της 8ης Μαρτίου, μαζί με συντρόφια από την αντιρατσιστική διεθνή συλλογικότητα “Βorderless Collective” και “Το Σπίτι των Γυναικών, για την Ενδυνάμωση & τη Χειραφέτηση”.
Μετανάστριες από τα camps της Ριτσώνας, της Μαλακάσας και του Σχιστού συμμετείχαν μαζί μας.
Common block of migrant women and locals in the demo for the international women’s day, with comrades from antiracist groups “Borderless Collective” and “The Women’s House, for Empowerment & Emancipation”.
Migrant women from Ritsona refugee camp, Malakasa refugee camp and Schisto refugee camp participated with us.
