Athens Greece 27 March 2013
The plight of Syrian refugees in Greece is reflected through their stories of how they arrived in the country, under what circumstances they were imprisoned, what they expected and what they eventually found.Aref with his two children |
Thousands of Syrians have fled the war in their homeland
and tried to find refuge in European Union countries. Many of them
through the extremely dangerous path of the Aegean Sea, on plastic boats
from Turkey to Greece. But even when they survive the deadly dangers of
such a journey, it is almost impossible to be given asylum in Greece.
Greek authorities can imprison asylum seekers for up to 18 months.
In 2012, no Syrians were granted asylum in Greece, as the European Commission reports.
Most of the Syrian migrants plan to leave Greece for other European countries.
Story 1: “€ 7.5 Euros for a ticket to prison.”
The 29-year old woman named Jihan with her six children shares now a room on a flat in central Athens after having a troubled and dangerous journey into the sea and detention centers in the Greek islands.
As she recounts on the video she lived very well with her husband and her family in Qamishli, Syria.
Her husband is a photojournalist and he was arrested and imprisoned while he was photographing the protests.
When the explosions, the bombs in schools and the shooting into the crowd multiplied, the brother of Jihan’s husband urged her to take the children and flee illegally to Turkey.
Along with her six children they crossed paths and mountains to arrive in Turkey.
Smugglers in Turkey, forced her to board on a small inflatable boat with her children and others, a total of 30 people, to pass to Greece. The boat sank and were rescued by Greek coastguard vessel. They were moved to Agathonisi island where they were imprisoned straight away, while they were all wet from the sea. After some days they let them out and asked them to pay 7.5 Euros each, for a ticket to Samos island. They thought that they will be released, but eventually realized that they paid a ticket to go to Samos and being imprisoned again. Once again imprisoned in Samos, they were released to go by boat to Athens, to find themselves in the chaos of the capital, alone and helpless, facing a hostile and xenophobic society.
Story 2:
The 50-year old man named Aref with his two of his four children are now in Athens. They are hosted from other Syrians, changing home every week. They have not found yet a permanent residence.
Aref used to have a shop with electrical appliances in Aleppo, for ten years. Seven months ago, he closed the shop because the area has turned into a battlefield, and fled with his wife and four children to a nearby village. The last seven months he could not approach either his home or his shop. He tried, but the army did not let him get close.
He left the village with his two children for economic reasons to seek his fortune in Europe. In the village he did not have money even for milk for his kids. After the war has began, everything has become very expensive . There is neither electricity nor water.
They came to Greece from the sea with a small inflatable boat that sank on the way. After being rescued by the Greek authorities they were imprisoned for one week in a small room in Chios island.
“Unfortunately here we do not count as human beings” Aref says. “In Chios a woman was beaten by police officers in the detention center."
"We were pleased to be here in Europe, until we found out that here is the same with Syria. The only good thing they did to us was saving us from the sea."
"They took all our personal property from the moment we stepped in Greece, the country of Plato and Socrates."
Aref was detained along with his two children in Chios sharing a dirty little room with other thirty prisoners. On March 1st 2013, they were released to go by boat to Athens, where drama continues.
Story 3:
The 33-year old man named Edris is watching a video on his mobile phone, with the remains of his houme in Allepo, that has turned into a battlefield between the FSA and Assad fighters.
Edris is now in Athens with his wife named Rusan, who is pregnant on their sixth child, and their five children. They all share one single room on a flat with other Syrian people.
Rusan was rescued from the sea by the Greek authorities while all the family was on a small plastic boat, together with other Syrian, trying to enter Greece from the sea in their effort to find asylum. They were detained for one week in Chios island, and then left to fend for themselves with vague prospects.
Story 4.
Hachad Adib, came to Greece five years ago. On March 7th, 2013, at dawn, his brother, his wife and their three children, all died tragically when they drowned at sea in their effort to enter Greece to seek asylum.
Greek authorities can imprison asylum seekers for up to 18 months.
In 2012, no Syrians were granted asylum in Greece, as the European Commission reports.
Most of the Syrian migrants plan to leave Greece for other European countries.
Story 1: “€ 7.5 Euros for a ticket to prison.”
The 29-year old woman named Jihan with her six children shares now a room on a flat in central Athens after having a troubled and dangerous journey into the sea and detention centers in the Greek islands.
As she recounts on the video she lived very well with her husband and her family in Qamishli, Syria.
Her husband is a photojournalist and he was arrested and imprisoned while he was photographing the protests.
When the explosions, the bombs in schools and the shooting into the crowd multiplied, the brother of Jihan’s husband urged her to take the children and flee illegally to Turkey.
Along with her six children they crossed paths and mountains to arrive in Turkey.
Smugglers in Turkey, forced her to board on a small inflatable boat with her children and others, a total of 30 people, to pass to Greece. The boat sank and were rescued by Greek coastguard vessel. They were moved to Agathonisi island where they were imprisoned straight away, while they were all wet from the sea. After some days they let them out and asked them to pay 7.5 Euros each, for a ticket to Samos island. They thought that they will be released, but eventually realized that they paid a ticket to go to Samos and being imprisoned again. Once again imprisoned in Samos, they were released to go by boat to Athens, to find themselves in the chaos of the capital, alone and helpless, facing a hostile and xenophobic society.
Story 2:
The 50-year old man named Aref with his two of his four children are now in Athens. They are hosted from other Syrians, changing home every week. They have not found yet a permanent residence.
Aref used to have a shop with electrical appliances in Aleppo, for ten years. Seven months ago, he closed the shop because the area has turned into a battlefield, and fled with his wife and four children to a nearby village. The last seven months he could not approach either his home or his shop. He tried, but the army did not let him get close.
He left the village with his two children for economic reasons to seek his fortune in Europe. In the village he did not have money even for milk for his kids. After the war has began, everything has become very expensive . There is neither electricity nor water.
They came to Greece from the sea with a small inflatable boat that sank on the way. After being rescued by the Greek authorities they were imprisoned for one week in a small room in Chios island.
“Unfortunately here we do not count as human beings” Aref says. “In Chios a woman was beaten by police officers in the detention center."
"We were pleased to be here in Europe, until we found out that here is the same with Syria. The only good thing they did to us was saving us from the sea."
"They took all our personal property from the moment we stepped in Greece, the country of Plato and Socrates."
Aref was detained along with his two children in Chios sharing a dirty little room with other thirty prisoners. On March 1st 2013, they were released to go by boat to Athens, where drama continues.
Story 3:
The 33-year old man named Edris is watching a video on his mobile phone, with the remains of his houme in Allepo, that has turned into a battlefield between the FSA and Assad fighters.
Edris is now in Athens with his wife named Rusan, who is pregnant on their sixth child, and their five children. They all share one single room on a flat with other Syrian people.
Rusan was rescued from the sea by the Greek authorities while all the family was on a small plastic boat, together with other Syrian, trying to enter Greece from the sea in their effort to find asylum. They were detained for one week in Chios island, and then left to fend for themselves with vague prospects.
Story 4.
Hachad Adib, came to Greece five years ago. On March 7th, 2013, at dawn, his brother, his wife and their three children, all died tragically when they drowned at sea in their effort to enter Greece to seek asylum.
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