Tag Archives: solidarity

Greece, Journey back to the borders, Part III

Journey back to the border – Part III

Lesvos/ Greece 15.-26. August 2015

Next week, in August 2015 we will return once again to the border– to the places of our first arrivals and encounters, to one of Europe’s gates and transit zones.

We will continue to warmly welcome all newcomers and we want to empower them through our presence. In the very moment as they challenge the European borders we will stand by them.

If the European border regime becomes history it will be washed ashore by the wave of our collective NO; our NO to be exposed to war and repression, our NO to be excluded from education and healthcare, our NO to be exploited and forgotten. Even if our “No” is not always shout out loud, it vibrates in every single step of our journeys.

We feel solidarity and a strong connection with our friends in Greece, who have been confronted with the brutality of the European elites in another way. Their Oxi! gave us hope when most of us, after a long journey, tried to find a place in Europe, tried to figure out the relation to and within the European society. As new European citizens we demand equal rights for everyone. Obviously, not only migrants are nowadays used as scapegoats in Europe, but also those who say no to an austerity program without alternative.

We come back to Mitilini in a time when it is a zone of transit. Continue reading Journey back to the border – Part III →

Greece, Media, Press review

10.06.15/w2eu: Ανακοίνωση σχετικά με τη δυσφήμηση του ενημερωτικού φυλλαδίου του Welcome to Europe

Μας ανησυχούν βαθύτατα οι αναληθείς πληροφορίες που διαδίδει η ιστοσελίδα Lesvosnews.gr σχετικά με το ενημερωτικό φυλλάδιο για τους πρόσφυγες και τους μετανάστες, το οποίο εκδόθηκε και δημοσιεύθηκε από το Δίκτυο Welcome to Europe το καλοκαίρι του 2014 και το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται από την Κοινωνία των Πολιτών στη Λέσβο για την ενημέρωση νεοαφιχθέντων προσφύγων και μεταναστών για την κατάστασή τους και τα δικαιώματά τους (στη δική τους γλώσσα).
Continue reading 10.06.15/w2eu: Ανακοίνωση σχετικά με τη δυσφήμηση του ενημερωτικού φυλλαδίου του Welcome to Europe →

Greece, Media, Press review

10.06.15/w2eu: Announcement concerning the defamation of the Welcome to Europe Info Flyer

We are deeply concerned about the in-correct information “Lesvosnews.gr” blog is spreading in the internet about the info-flyer for refugees and migrants which was edited and published by the Welcome to Europe Network in summer 2014 and which is used by the civil society in Lesvos to inform newly arriving refugees and migrants in their own languages about their situation and their rights.
Continue reading 10.06.15/w2eu: Announcement concerning the defamation of the Welcome to Europe Info Flyer →

Greece, Journey back to the borders, Part II

Traces Back Part II: Farewell to refugees released from Moria

Wednesday, 6th August 2014, first day at the harbour of Mitilini:

When I started telling the people my own story, that I came here via Greece and have been very long here and than made it out – it changed our relation immediately. I had all the memories from the past – it was exactly this harbour and it was exactly this place of my arrival. But the difference was: when I arrived here, nobody was there to explain anything to me or to say welcome.


We are now here in Mitilini on our second journey back to the border. In a group of activists from various countries – with many of us having arrived in Europe via the Greek islands – we decided to go daily to the harbour to meet with people who were released from the refugee-prison in Moria and sought to leave for Athens. On the first day we met 24 people, all of them Afghan refugees. After their arrival on the island by boat they were imprisoned in Moria. From there they were transferred directly by a police-van to the harbour. Most of them had been imprisoned for about one and a half weeks – and all of them were quite happy to be able to continue their trip. These days there are daily releases from the prison as there are daily arrivals too and people try to continue their trip with the ferries going to Athens. Upon release they receive a white paper (deportation order) that says that they have to leave the country within 30-days. When the 30 days are over they become undocumented again and fear imprisonment again only for this reason up to 18 months and more.
Continue reading Traces Back Part II: Farewell to refugees released from Moria →