
Are You Syrious? — Weekly Digest (17–24/7/2017)
Summarized: this week’s reports about the refugee situation in Greece courtesy of Are you Syrious?.
Numbers
There are currently 10,443 refugees on the Aegean islands living in spaces that are meant for only 8,679. The number of refugees on Kos, Chios, Lesvos, and Samos is far beyond carrying capacity. On Samos in particular, the 2,372 refugees on the island far exceed 850 spaces in the facilities that they occupy.
Care for unaccompanied minors is lacking
International Rescue Committee and METAdrasi released a report that concluded that while the conditions of unaccompanied refugee children have been heading towards improvement, there is still a long way to go to ensure that their rights are fully protected.
Human Rights Watch also criticized Greek authorities for mishandling the registration and housing of minors in Lesvos. “The misidentification of unaccompanied migrant kids on Lesvos as adults leads to real problems, including lumping them together with unrelated adults and denying them the care they need,” said Eva Cosse, a researcher at HRW who carried out fieldwork on the issue.
There are only 1,223 spaces for unaccompanied child refugees, of the estimated 2,250 such people in Greece.
Furthermore, many suffer from mental health problems as a result of their traumatic experiences. Access to mental health resources is a problem more generally in Greece and many refugees cannot access the counseling that they need.
The protest at Moria Camp, Lesvos
A peaceful protest started at Moria camp on the morning of Tuesday July 18th outside the EASO offices mainly by African refugees. They were demanding to be moved to the mainland.
The police threw tear gas at the protesters, and the demonstration quickly devolved into violence. NGOs have condemned the police, pointing to their excessive use of violence. A fire broke out the spread to the olive grove.

According to reports from the ground, Moria was calm in the evening. Police were, however, still inside the camp, using more force than necessary and continuing with arrests. Multiple minor injuries have been confirmed.
During the protest, 35 arrests were made on charges of conspiracy, destroying private property, resisting arrest, and endangering life. Reports claim some did not even partake in the protest and were dragged from their containers.
Many of the protesters who were beaten by police are still in hospital with open head and arm wounds.
Preliminary hearings were set for the 21st and 22nd of July.

Another pushback
A video showing an alleged pushback by authorities at Kastellorizo surfaced.
Lesvos
- Residents at Nea Kavala camp have decreased to 475. Rumours are circulating that the government will take over the camp soon. NGOs are already withdrawing their manpower.
- Lighthouse Relief will be ending its activities on the northern shores of Lesvos, after two years of operating rescue activities and a camp at Skala Sikamineas.
- Τhe hunger strike at Moria continued for its 26th day. Arash Hampay’s brother, Amir, was released from prison. Kozhing Hussein and Bahroz Aresh are still there, and their hunger strike continues. Arash Hampay will not stop in solidarity to them. but also to raise awareness about the asylum seekers indefinitely kept on the island and living in squalid conditions.
Mainland
- 13 refugees were found being held against their will in a warehouse in Magnisia. The owner of the building and the two men who served as guards were arrested. The refugees were supposedly being held until the men were paid for their release.
- A peaceful protest took place on Wednesday July 19th outside the German Embassy in Athens, against the limit on family reunification.
- A Syrian Kurdish 7-year-old child was found drowned near Skaramangas camp, after an amber alert was put out looking for him. His parents have been arrested on charges of endangering a minor.
- Volunteers tried to contact refugees at the Petrou Ralli detention center in Athens on Sunday July 23rd. The detainees complained about skin diseases, an expected physiological reaction to staying in dirty overcrowded cells for over 6 months. The police was making ironic comments, laughing and joking, as the volunteers tried to talk to the refugees.
Are you affected by the refugee crisis? We need your story.
Give us your perspective at info@athenslive.gr
If you liked this post, please click on the ❤ below to recommend it to your friends, and follow us to catch the next one. Thanks!
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
If you have any corrections, ideas, or even profanities to share, feel free to email us info@athenslive.gr

