Saturday, the 31st of August 2019.
Once more, during the last few days, hordes of immigrants have reached our island shores in the Aegean Sea, arriving from Turkey. These unfortunate people, devasted by war, are looking for a better life for their families in the European Union, while others, some of whom are illegal, are just trying to find jobs. This is, obviously a huge problem for Greece.
In 2016, the European Union and Turkey agreed on a refugee deal, An important condition of this deal being that immigrants arriving on the Greek islands would be returned to Turkey, except if they applied for and received asylum in Greece.
According to The Times, many of the 50 refugee camps in Greece are in a tragic condition, overcrowded, full of diseases and house unaccompanied minors. Also, The Times, quoting data from Athens and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees explained that there were 1.570 arrivals in Greece, by sea, in the first week of August, compared with 479 at the same time the previous year. A tripled augmentation.
In Greece, many International organizations and certain non-governmental organizations are active in helping refugees like the United Nations Refugee High Commission which helps Greece with the refugee problem and we wish to thank them sincerely.
Mr Giorgos Koumoutsakos, who is dealing with the refugee policy, said on television, on Friday, that 15 asylum seekers, whose applications had been rejected, would be sent back to Turkey. The minister, also, told the press that 75.000 migrants, in Greece, were having their applications reviewed, including 9.000, whose applications had been rejected and were appealing against the rejection.
The Turkish Foreign Minister warned that he would cancel the 2016 re-admission deal with the EU if the Union rejected to offer visa-free travel for Turkish citizens. This statement came between growing unease in the Eastern Mediterranean over hydrocarbon resources, and the European Union's decision to "impose punitive measures on Turkey, due to Ankara's increasing efforts for gas drillings off Cyprus." Furthermore, the President of Turkey, Mr Tayip Erdogan, calls his country the "blue fatherland" and insists that the half Aegean Sea is Turkish including several Greek islands.
These are very crucial diplomatic problems that must be dealt with resolution and solved with wisdom.
Chronologically, this post should have been published before the previous one.
(I wish to thank Estia, Kathimerini, The Times, The Guardian, ERT, STAR TVgr, BBC, FRANCE 24 and CNN for the valuable information for this post)
After 75.000 migrant arrivals in Greece in 2019, international authorities predict the refugee crisis will be continuing in 2020.
The islands of Chios, Lesvos and Samos are carrying the heaviest refugee burden. According to the North Aegean Police Department, the above islands are holding 62% of the total arrivals, causing desperate overcrowding at the islands' facilities, which are designed to host much lesser numbers.
The Greek Government are trying to transfer all vulnerable groups, such as families, the sick and disabled and unaccompanied minors from the island camps to alternative accommodation on the mainland, but, unfortunately, as fast as people leave, more arrive.
Until the last weekend, the number of the asylum seekers on the overcrowded Moria camp, at Lesvos had reached 18.747, 1.150 of which were unaccompanied children. The overall number of children in Moria has reached 6.500.
It remains to be seen if the refugee crisis can be effectively handled by the Greek government. Measures have already been taken to speed up the asylum application process, such as transfer of people from the islands to the mainland, as well as tougher legislative measures and border security with the help of Frontex. The Greek state faces the same problems as the previous years and the United Nation's High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grande, stated that Greece needs help from international organizations as well as fellow EU member states.
The new Greek Government has introduced stricter legislation on migration, with the aim of limiting new arrivals as much as possible, it increased deportation of failed asylum seekers and has established more restrictive holding centres. This came into force after huge waves of arrivals of migrants and refugees occurred recently, leaving tons of thousands of people crammed into small identification and reception centres, which have long exceeded their capacity.
More than 2.000 refugees, mostly Afghanis, from the Moria camp in Lesvos protested, chanting aradi aradi which means freedom. They were protesting against "the horrendous conditions" in Moria which they referred to as "hell". They might be right, but we did not invite to visit our country. As mentioned above, the camps are cramped, but we can only afford to offer food, water and medical assistance.
On the other hand, the hospitable residents of Lesvos more than 9.000 people protested against the migration policy, shouting "We want our island back!" It was the largest protest in the island's history. Two sides of the same problem.
 |
| Arriving on the Greek Islands |
Once more, during the last few days, hordes of immigrants have reached our island shores in the Aegean Sea, arriving from Turkey. These unfortunate people, devasted by war, are looking for a better life for their families in the European Union, while others, some of whom are illegal, are just trying to find jobs. This is, obviously a huge problem for Greece.
In 2016, the European Union and Turkey agreed on a refugee deal, An important condition of this deal being that immigrants arriving on the Greek islands would be returned to Turkey, except if they applied for and received asylum in Greece.
According to The Times, many of the 50 refugee camps in Greece are in a tragic condition, overcrowded, full of diseases and house unaccompanied minors. Also, The Times, quoting data from Athens and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees explained that there were 1.570 arrivals in Greece, by sea, in the first week of August, compared with 479 at the same time the previous year. A tripled augmentation.
In Greece, many International organizations and certain non-governmental organizations are active in helping refugees like the United Nations Refugee High Commission which helps Greece with the refugee problem and we wish to thank them sincerely.
Mr Giorgos Koumoutsakos, who is dealing with the refugee policy, said on television, on Friday, that 15 asylum seekers, whose applications had been rejected, would be sent back to Turkey. The minister, also, told the press that 75.000 migrants, in Greece, were having their applications reviewed, including 9.000, whose applications had been rejected and were appealing against the rejection.
The Turkish Foreign Minister warned that he would cancel the 2016 re-admission deal with the EU if the Union rejected to offer visa-free travel for Turkish citizens. This statement came between growing unease in the Eastern Mediterranean over hydrocarbon resources, and the European Union's decision to "impose punitive measures on Turkey, due to Ankara's increasing efforts for gas drillings off Cyprus." Furthermore, the President of Turkey, Mr Tayip Erdogan, calls his country the "blue fatherland" and insists that the half Aegean Sea is Turkish including several Greek islands.
These are very crucial diplomatic problems that must be dealt with resolution and solved with wisdom.
Chronologically, this post should have been published before the previous one.
(I wish to thank Estia, Kathimerini, The Times, The Guardian, ERT, STAR TVgr, BBC, FRANCE 24 and CNN for the valuable information for this post)
 |
After 75.000 migrant arrivals in Greece in 2019, international authorities predict the refugee crisis will be continuing in 2020.
The islands of Chios, Lesvos and Samos are carrying the heaviest refugee burden. According to the North Aegean Police Department, the above islands are holding 62% of the total arrivals, causing desperate overcrowding at the islands' facilities, which are designed to host much lesser numbers.
The Greek Government are trying to transfer all vulnerable groups, such as families, the sick and disabled and unaccompanied minors from the island camps to alternative accommodation on the mainland, but, unfortunately, as fast as people leave, more arrive.
Until the last weekend, the number of the asylum seekers on the overcrowded Moria camp, at Lesvos had reached 18.747, 1.150 of which were unaccompanied children. The overall number of children in Moria has reached 6.500.
It remains to be seen if the refugee crisis can be effectively handled by the Greek government. Measures have already been taken to speed up the asylum application process, such as transfer of people from the islands to the mainland, as well as tougher legislative measures and border security with the help of Frontex. The Greek state faces the same problems as the previous years and the United Nation's High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grande, stated that Greece needs help from international organizations as well as fellow EU member states.
The new Greek Government has introduced stricter legislation on migration, with the aim of limiting new arrivals as much as possible, it increased deportation of failed asylum seekers and has established more restrictive holding centres. This came into force after huge waves of arrivals of migrants and refugees occurred recently, leaving tons of thousands of people crammed into small identification and reception centres, which have long exceeded their capacity.
 |
More than 2.000 refugees, mostly Afghanis, from the Moria camp in Lesvos protested, chanting aradi aradi which means freedom. They were protesting against "the horrendous conditions" in Moria which they referred to as "hell". They might be right, but we did not invite to visit our country. As mentioned above, the camps are cramped, but we can only afford to offer food, water and medical assistance.
On the other hand, the hospitable residents of Lesvos more than 9.000 people protested against the migration policy, shouting "We want our island back!" It was the largest protest in the island's history. Two sides of the same problem.
 |
| 9.000 People Protesting Against the Migration Policy at Lesvos Harbour |
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