[EN] INTERNATIONAL AMNESTY: GREEK AUTHORITIES PUT LIVES IN DANGER BY PUSHING REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS BACK TO TURKEY

Refugees and migrants trying to reach the European Union (EU) via Greece from conflict-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan are being unlawfully returned to Turkey by Greek coast and border guards, Amnesty International reveals in a new report out today.

The 40-page report intitulé Frontier Europe: Human Rights Abuses on Greece's border with Turkey, examines the Greek authorities’ dangerous use of ‘push backs’- when they turn groups of migrants back across the border, denying them the right to have their individual cases heard or to challenge their expulsion.

[EN] AERIAL SURVEILLANCE AT THE GREECE-TURKEY BORDER: FRONTEX WANTS TO BUY A PLANE

Statewatch

The EU border agency, Frontex, is looking to buy a plane that will allow it to undertake night-time surveillance of the land border between Greece and Turkey as part of a pilot project that will run from July until September. Aerial surveillance imagery will be used to guide the actions of border guards stationed on the ground, in a region where intensified border controls have already led to the death of migrants attempting to reach Europe by increasingly dangerous routes.

Aerial surveillance

According to a procurement notice posted at the end of March on the Frontex website, the company that wins the contract "shall provide the necessary technical equipment and staff to perform aerial surveillance at the external EU land border between Greece and Turkey," using a manned plane that will have the Democritus International Airport near Alexandroupoulis as its base. [1]

[EN] ‘WHAT DOES EUROPE WANT FROM US?’ – MIGRANTS DETAINED FOR MONTHS ON END IN GREECE

By Irem Arf Rayfield, Researcher on Refugee and Migrants’ Rights in Europe

http://www.whenyoudontexist.eu/

 

Flying back from our research mission in Greece, I can’t shake off the image of exhaustion in the eyes of the newly arrived migrants on the island of Lesvos when describing their dangerous journey across the Aegean Sea.

The same fatigue was shared by Syrian women we met in Athens – forced to leave their loved ones behind when they fled to Greece – where they now live in fear of racist attacks and the perils for their children in a merciless urban setting.
And finally the suffering of migrants and refugees held for months in the detention centres and police stations in north-eastern Greece, where our mission came to an end.
Migrants and refugees fleeing conflict and destitution have been funnelled towards this area where the Evros River marks the Greece-Turkey border and Europe’s frontier.

[EN] THE EU HAS TO FINALLY MAKE UP ITS MIND ABOUT A COMMON ASYLUM AND MIGRATION POLICY

By Felix Neugebauer

In February 2012, Greece announced that it will build a “six-mile long fence topped with razor wire on its border with Turkey to deter illegal immigrants.”^[1] While the fence, even during its construction, cut arrivals of illegal immigrants by land down, these outdated measures of control and deterrence have simply diverted immigration flows to the sea and the Greek islands of the Aegean. Thousands of ‘boat people’, mostly from Africa, attempt each year to cross the Mediterranean in overcrowded and frequently unseaworthy vessels in order to enter the southernmost EU member states. As Greece was about completing its fence, twenty Iraqis drowned when, within sight of Turkey, their small overcrowded boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos.

[IT] EVROS, GRECIA: UN NUOVO MURO DIVIDE ASIA ED EUROPA

Di Giulia Bondi

http://partiallyfree.wordpress.com

Kastanies, il primo villaggio dopo la frontiera turca

La Grecia che arranca sotto il peso del debito pubblico è la stessa che investe circa 5 milioni di euro per costruire una barricata di acciaio e filo spinato a difesa del confine con la Turchia, un tratto di terra di 12,5 km, tra la città di Nea Orestiada e il villaggio di Kastanjes. Tutto il resto del confine, fino all’Egeo, è segnato dal fiume Evros. Dai campi o dal fiume, negli ultimi anni decine di migliaia di migranti sono entrati in Europa: nel 2010 circa 36 mila, nel 2011 28 mila, soprattutto da Afghanistan, Pakistan e Bangladesh. Un fiume umano che spaventa i governi, anche se in realtà la maggior parte degli stranieri extracomunitari entra nell’Unione dagli aeroporti, con visti turistici. A dicembre 2012 il “muro” è stato ultimato. Ma già a fine agosto, quando ne esisteva soltanto un frammento, il numero di migranti entrati dal confine dell’Evros era calato drasticamente, di pari passo con l’enorme dispiegamento di polizia (tra i 1800 e i 2mila agenti), e di tecnologie come le telecamere con sensori di calore, che individuano un essere vivente a 18 km di distanza. Se nella prima metà dell’anno entravano anche 300 stranieri al giorno, da settembre in poi la media non supera i 40 ingressi a settimana.“Stiamo assistendo a uno spostamento dei migranti sul confine turco-bulgaro, e soprattutto sulle isole di fronte alla Turchia, con picchi di 200 a settimana a Samos e Lesvos”, spiega Ewa Moncure, portavoce di Frontex, l’agenzia nata otto anni fa per proteggere i confini dell’Unione Europea, con un budget sempre crescente che per il 2012 ammonta a 115 milioni di euro. “I muri non servono”, ammette Moncure: “Bisogna agire sulle cause che spingono le persone a partire”.

[EN] SYRIANS FIND NO REFUGE IN GREECE

More Migrants Attempt Sea Journey but Find Hostile Greeting, Little Hope for Asylum

The Wall Street Journal

By MATINA STEVIS

LESVOS, Greece—On this Aegean island's shores, Syria's refugee crisis is crashing up against Greece's migrant-policy mess.
Mohamed Simo, a 28-year-old Web designer from Aleppo, Syria, wanted to avoid the limbo of refugee camps of Turkey and Jordan, so he paid smugglers to bring him to Europe. After what he said was a harrowing journey from Turkey in a sinking plastic boat on a cold February night, he washed up in this tourist haven and was detained by local police.

Thousands of Syrians escaping the war back home have snuck into the European Union in the past year. Many brave the treacherous Aegean-Sea route from Turkey into Greece. Once there, asylum is nearly impossible to obtain. WSJ's Matina Stevis reports.

[EN] INTERNATIONAL AMNESTY- RERUGEES DYING ON DANGEROUS ROUTES TO ASYLUM IN EUROPE

“As Greece is tightening the border controls in Evros, including the completion of a 10.5km fence last December, people take more and more dangerous routes. This was a tragedy waiting to happen,’’ said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Director of the Europe and Central Asia Programme.

Lesvos is one of the main crossings for migrants and refugees trying to enter the European Union via Greece. © Getty Images

“It is vital that the Greek authorities ensure protection to all asylum-seekers reaching the country. Instead, the Greek asylum system is grossly failing them. People who flee conflict, including many Syrians and Afghans who make it to the shores of Lesvos, are detained in police stations in overcrowded and poor conditions or in many cases left destitute to sleep in the streets.”

ΧΕΡΣΑΙΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΟΤΟΥΡΚΙΚΑ ΣΥΝΟΡΑ ΚΑΤΑΓΓΕΛΙΕΣ ΓΙΑ «ΠΕΡΙΕΡΓΕΣ» ΕΠΑΝΑΠΡΟΩΘΗΣΕΙΣ ΜΕΤΑΝΑΣΤΩΝ

Μετανάστες εγκλωβισμένοι σε νησίδα του Έβρου ποταμού

Καταγγελίες για «άτυπες επαναπροωθήσεις» μεταναστών και προσφύγων στα χερσαία ελληνοτουρκικά σύνορα από στελέχη του εδώ μηχανισμού συνοριοφύλαξης (ΕΛ.ΑΣ ή FRONTEX) δημοσιεύονται στο διεθνή Τύπο. Πρόσφυγες καταμαρτυρούν ότι περνώντας τον Εβρο ποταμό, συνελήφθησαν, δεν καταχωρήθηκαν πουθενά στα επίσημα κατάστιχα των αρχών, έστω ως «λαθραίοι» που «παράνομα εισήλθαν στην ελληνική επικράτεια» (να τους δοθεί έτσι τουλάχιστον τυπικά η δυνατότητα να υποβάλλουν αίτημα ασύλου), αλλά γρήγορα οδηγήθηκαν πίσω στο ποτάμι όπου αναγκάστηκαν με τη βία να γυρίσουν στην Τουρκία.

Δημοσίευμα που αναρτήθηκε στην βρετανική ιστοσελίδα guardian.co.uk στις 7/12, επικαλούμενο μαρτυρίες προσφύγων, εκπροσώπων ΜΚΟ και δικηγόρων, υποστηρίζει ότι Σύριοι πρόσφυγες διερχόμενοι από Τουρκία με σκοπό να ζητήσουν άσυλο στην Ελλάδα, μόλις πάτησαν ελληνικό έδαφος τούς «γύρισαν πίσω» Ελληνες αστυνομικοί ή τους εμπόδισαν να εισέλθουν στην Ελλάδα. Συνοριοφύλακες τους ξανάβαλαν στις βάρκες με τις ποιες διέσχισαν προηγούμενα τον Εβρο ποταμό και τους έσπρωξαν πίσω προς την τουρκική όχθη.

[EN] BULGARIA, GREECE and TURKEY: THE SYRIAN REFUGEES AT EUROPE’S GATEWAY

A letter from the border.
By Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi

A Syrian women and her son wait for help to erect their tent at a refugee camp in Bab al-Salam on the Syria-Turkey border. Photograph: Getty Images 

A question for the European politicians thrashing out a plan to provide “assistance” to Syria: if a bedraggled Syrian escapes the war, if he escapes the chaos of the refugee camps in Iraq or Jordan or Turkey, if he arrives tired but hopeful on your doorstep, what will happen to him?

ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΕΣ ΧΑΝΟΥΝ ΤΗ ΖΩΗ ΤΟΥΣ ΣΕ ΕΠΙΚΙΝΔΥΝΑ ΠΕΡΑΣΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΖΗΤΗΣΗ ΑΣΥΛΟΥ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΥΡΩΠΗ

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Σε ένα περιστατικό που καταδεικνύει τους κινδύνους που διατρέχουν άνθρωποι που εγκαταλείπουν τις χώρες τους προκειμένου να αναζητήσουν άσυλο στην Ευρώπη, οι αρχές της Λέσβου συνεχίζουν να αναζητούν τα σώματα αιτούντων άσυλο που είχαν επιχειρήσει να προσεγγίσουν το ελληνικό νησί.

Η ΥΠΑΤΗ ΑΡΜΟΣΤΕΙΑ ΕΚΦΡΑΖΕΙ ΤΗ ΒΑΘΙΑ ΘΛΙΨΗ ΤΗΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΝΕΑ ΤΡΑΓΩΔΙΑ ΑΝΟΙΧΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΛΕΣΒΟΥ ΜΕ ΘΥΜΑΤΑ ΣΥΡΟΥΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΕΣ

© UNHCR/F.Noy

Αθήνα, 19 Μαρτίου 2013 - Η Ύπατη Αρμοστεία του ΟΗΕ για τους Πρόσφυγες (Υ.Α.) εκφράζει τη βαθιά θλίψη της για το νέο ναυάγιο στα ανοιχτά της Λέσβου, κατά το οποίο έχασαν τη ζωή τους 6 άτομα: μια μητέρα με δύο μικρά παιδιά, μια 17χρονη έγκυος, ένας ανήλικος και ένας άντρας, όλοι Συριακής καταγωγής. Οι έρευνες για τον εντοπισμό 3 ακόμη αγνοουμένων συνεχίζονται. Σύμφωνα με δηλώσεις που υπέβαλαν στις τοπικές αστυνομικές αρχές Σύροι συγγενείς τους, τα θύματα έφυγαν με λέμβο από τα τουρκικά παράλια στις 6 Μαρτίου, με προορισμό τη Λέσβο. Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες, ανάμεσα στα θύματα περιλαμβάνεται μια πενταμελής οικογένεια και ένας 14χρονος, που ζούσαν στην Ελλάδα, αναγκάστηκαν να επιστρέψουν στη Συρία εξαιτίας της οικονομικής κατάστασης στη χώρα μας, και στη συνέχεια τράπηκαν εκ νέου σε φυγή από τη Συρία λόγω του πολέμου.    

ΤΕΙΧΗ ΤΟΥ ΤΡΟΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΠΟΓΝΩΣΗΣ

TOY ΑΧΙΛΛΕΑ ΦΑΚΑΤΣΕΛΗ

Έχουν μήκος δεκάδες χιλιόμετρα, οριοθετούν επικράτειες, εμποδίζουν «ξένους», φυλακίζουν ζωές και εξορίζουν όνειρα

Το συρματοπλεγμα στο «σύγχρονο τείχος» του Έβρου. Ο ποταμός λέγεται Μέριτς στα τουρκικά, Μαρίτσα στα βουλγαρικά.

Είναι μεγάλα –συχνά έχουν μήκος πολλές δεκάδες χιλιόμετρα. Κι όμως, μετριούνται δύσκολα, επειδή εξαρτάται τι βλέπει εκείνος που τα μετρά –εθνικά οχυρωματικά έργα, μαντρότοιχους που οριοθετούν επικράτειες, Τείχη του Αίσχους που φυλακίζουν ανθρώπους ή φράχτες που εξορίζουν όνειρα;

ΖΩΕΣ ΣΤΟ ΣΥΡΜΑ

«Aν έχεις επιζήσει από πόλεμο, βία και πείνα, αν έχεις δει μπροστά στα μάτια σου να σφάζουν τα παιδιά σου και να τα θάβουν σε ομαδικούς τάφους, δεν νομίζω να κοντοσταθείς σε δέκα χιλιόμετρα συρματόπλεγμα στον Eβρο»

IΣPA ΣAΪNT - IPAK

ΖΩΕΣ ΠΙΑΣΜΕΝΕΣ ΣΤΟ ΣΥΡΜΑΤΟΠΛΕΓΜΑ

[ES] 10,5 KILOMETROS DE VERGUENZA EN GRECIA

El Estado de Grecia ha terminado la valla de 10,5 kilómetros que pretende frenar los flujos migratorios que entran por el noreste del país (una de las partes que lindan con Turquía). Ésta nueva vergüenza racista de un país supuestamente “civilizado” y miembro de la Unión Europea como Grecia, tendrá específicamente 10.365 metros de largo y 4 metros de alto, y va desde Kastanies hasta el río Evros.

ΟΙ ΦΡΑΧΤΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΜΟΥ

ΗΠΑ, Ισραήλ και Ινδία ξοδεύουν δισεκατομμύρια σε τείχη που δεν χρησιμεύουν σε τίποτα

Φράχτης στα σύνορα ΗΠΑ-Μεξικού   (Φωτογραφία:  Reuters 

Νέα Υόρκη

Την τελευταία δεκαετία, μερικές από τις μεγαλύτερες δημοκρατίες του κόσμου κατασκεύασαν στα σύνορά τους τείχη και φράχτες.

Οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, η Ινδία και το Ισραήλ -που χαρακτηρίζονται συχνά αντιστοίχως η παλαιότερη δημοκρατία του κόσμου, η μεγαλύτερη δημοκρατία του κόσμου και η σταθερότερη δημοκρατία της Μέσης Ανατολής- έκτισαν 5.500 χιλιόμετρα τείχους.

[EN] COMMENT: FENCES DON’T MAKE US SAFE

By Polly Pallister-Wilkins

The last decade has seen an increase in the process of wall and fence building that seems somewhat incongruous in an era of apparent unprecedented globalisation and human movement. Britain got over its penchant for building walls as a policy solution to the sectarianism of Northern Ireland and the subsequent peace process was hailed as a triumph of liberal inclusion, even if the walls themselves remained. The same cannot be said for elsewhere however. Recent moves by Greece to fence off part of its border with Turkey, Israel's continued use of fence building, India's Bangladesh border fence and Spain's re-fortifying of its exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla are just a few examples of a process of walling that is seen as a logical policy response to a range of diverse threats.

[EN] EXODUS the mini documentary

[EN] IRON CURTAINS: DIVIDING COUNNTRIES

Sergey Duz

Photo: EPA

Greece has completed a fence along its border with Turkey, similar to Israel’s concrete barrier against Palestine. Now, Iran eyes doing the same along its border with Pakistan. This made terrified experts talk about the revival of feudalism and border locking.

[EN] GREEK FENCE UP AT TURKISH BORDER AS IMMIGRANTS COME BY SEA

As a fence to curb illegal immigration from Turkey to Greece goes up, some immigrants and asylum seekers are taking more dangerous and costly routes across the sea.

By Andy Dabilis and Menekse Tokyay for Southeast European Times in Athens and Istanbul

A Greek Coast Guard vessel patrols at the maritime border between Greece and Turkey near the small Greek Aegean Sea island of Agathonissi. [AFP]

As Greece completed a 10.5-kilometre long fence on its border with Turkey in a bid to keep out waves of illegal immigrants, a small overcrowded boat carrying Iraqis fleeing their country sank on December 15th off the island of Lesbos, within sight of Turkey, drowning 20.
The timing illustrated the plight of immigrants trying to get into the EU through its southernmost member state as Greece attempts to cope with flow of immigrants by land and sea.
Greek authorities hope that the 4-metre tall barbed-wire fence along the Evros River that cost more than 3 million euros will keep them out.

[EN] WALLS/ΤΕΙΧΗ

W A L L S

Without consideration, without pity, without shame
they have built great and high walls around me.

And now I sit here and despair.
I think of nothing else: this fate gnaws at my mind;

for I had many things to do outside.
Ah why did I not pay attention when they were building the walls.

But I never heard any noise or sound of builders.
Imperceptibly they shut me from the outside world.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1896)