In 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey reached a deal known as the EU-Turkey Statement, aimed at managing the large influx of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe from conflict zones in the Middle East and North Africa. Under the agreement, Turkey agreed to take back all refugees and migrants who arrived in Greece illegally, while the EU pledged to provide Turkey with financial assistance and visa liberalization for Turkish citizens.
The new Immigration bill. What a fascinating piece of work. It’s like watching a magician perform a sleight-of-hand trick, distracting us with one hand while the other is doing something entirely different. In this case, the government is proposing to overhaul the legal framework governing immigration in Greece, while simultaneously erecting insurmountable barriers to the protection of the rights of immigrants who have been living in the country for years.
The question of migration has been at the forefront of public discourse for many years. The migration of people from their countries of origin to other parts of the world has been a part of human history for as long as civilization has existed. However, the issue has taken on new urgency in the modern era, as a result of a variety of factors, including war, political instability, and climate change.
A large crowd of beneficiaries of international or subsidiary protection have not been able to renew their residence permits, and are only receiving a 6-month certificate confirming that their renewal is pending. This can cause serious problems in many areas, including employment and insurance. Although they have these certificates, many refugees have complained that they are taken to police stations and held for hours while the police claim to be checking their validity.
Waris Ali and Tsiona Nzita are two resent examples of individuals who have died in the refugee camps due to lack of access to medical care. The reason for the death of both of them was the long delay in the arrival of the ambulance.
At the western edge of Athens, several hundreds of refugees live in the camp of Eleonas. It was planned to be evicted on August 16, 2022, against the residents’ wishes. Over the past few weeks, they have built a strong resistance against racism, physical violence, threats against their children, blackmailing, misinformation, and worsening food and medication shortages from the camp management, police, and municipality. I joint the struggle and here is my story on the event.
In the general view of Greek and EU authorities, controlled close camps or, more specifically on my side, imprisonment has become the response of first resort to far too people who are ensconced in refugee management crisis and racism.
On 16 March afternoon, through social media I learned about police sweeping operations against refugees and migrants around Victoria square, in which the police were checking people for papers. If people did not have valid documents, the police send them to a detention center. I went there as a journalist to report about this event. […]