Are You Syrious? — Weekly Digest (24/7/2017–30/7/2017)
Summarized: this week’s reports about the refugee situation in Greece courtesy of Are you Syrious?.
The MSF report
Medecins Sans Frontiers found in a report published on July 24th that highlighted “the drastic deterioration of the care and protection” of vulnerable people in Lesvos.
The report is based on MSF medical data and the testimonies of patients, and it shows the recent drastic cuts in providing health care on the island, along with reductions in legal aid, and the closure of shelters and other essential services. It claims that the EU and Greek policies “continue to limit much-needed protection and care for vulnerable people in Greece”.
“Vulnerable people are falling through the cracks and are not been adequately identified and cared for,” said Emilie Rouvroy, head of mission for MSF Greece.
Lesvos
Early on Monday July 24th Greek riot police started another raid in Moria camp and neighboring community centers at Lesvos. Between 50 and 60 people were detained and they are facing immediate deportation. Some are those whose asylum cases have been rejected on appeal, but for the most part, it is not clear why these arrests were made.
According to Enough is Enough group, police was searching
for people who participated in protests in the Moria prison.
Amnesty International has asked Greek authorities to investigate allegations of excessive force and ill-treatment of detainees by police during the July 18th protest.
Police also threatened and pushed on the ground a visibly pregnant asylum-seeker and beatings continued inside the Mytilene police station, according to Amnesty International’s report.
Of the 35 people arrested, 30 have testified in court. The rest were either too injured or authorities could not provide a translator.
So far, 31 have been charged with arson, attempted assault, rioting, damage to private property and disturbing the public peace. Pre-trial detention has been ordered for 30 people, despite the fact that some have vulnerability status, which should preclude them from incarceration. Of them, 22 are now detained in prisons, mainly In Korydallos in Athens. Some have filed cases against the police.
Volunteer groups are reporting that the general climate in Mytilini is one of terror and uncertainty.
On Wednesday, July 26th, locals from villages around Moria protested the situation. They are also frustrated.
The hunger strike is on its 33rd day.
On a lighter note, the first wedding between Syrian refugees on Greek soil will take place in August. The woman arrived at Lesvos in December 2016, and the two met at Kara Tepe camp on the island. They are now expecting a baby. They were missing some documents for the civil union, but the magistrate ruled that “In such cases, the Greek state must show not just tolerance, but flexibility and an expansive spirit.”
The new funding
The EU Commission announced on July 27th a new €209 million emergency funding package to help Greece deal with refugees. A programme called ESTIA will receive €151 million from these funds, to help families rent homes in Greek cities.
ESTIA will provide rented accommodation for up to 30,000 people, mainly in the Greek mainland, by the end of 2017. It will provide them with pre-determined cash allocations on a debit card.
The progress of relocation
Out of 22,504 agreed resettlements, 17,179 have taken place. Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship wrote on July 25th, adding that June was a record month for relocation with almost 3000 relocated from Greece and Italy.
The next day, the Greek Defense Ministry revealed that 62,407 are waiting on Greek islands to be granted asylum or be deported.
Pushbacks and an eviction
- A vessel was redirected back to Turkey on July 29th, as it was trying to land on the shores of Kastellorizo. Watch the Med said: “The contact person informed us that the Greek coastguards were trying to return the boat to Turkey, and forwarded us a video that showed the boat of the coastguards circling around the travellers, creating waves which resulted in water entering the boat.” After the pushback they were arrested onshore by Turkish police.
- On the same day, police removed the tents of 50 people at Souda in Chios and told them to move to Vial. The camp is slowly closed. Of the 1,000 residents, 200 were moved to the mainland.
The new arrivals
On July 24th, a boat carrying 51 asylum-seekers arrived at Kymi, on Eubea island, far from the Turkish shores. The town offers no reception infrastructure since boats do not land there. The coast guard moved the refugees to the local gymnasium.
Mainland
Ali Rahimi, an Afghan asylum seeker, waited six years for justice after being stabbed in Greece, Human Rights Watch reports.
Rahimi finally received the justice he deserved as an Athens court this week convicted Ali’s attackers. The court pointed out that today’s victims in similar cases of xenophobic violence should not have to wait this long for justice.
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