By Anthi Pazianou / published in “Efimerida ton Sindakton”
Crossing Borders
Since last August 1,200 refugees have been arrested in Lesvos for illegal entry into Greece. This was brought about by the draconian measures on the border between Evros – Northern Greece and Turkey. In the name of ‘Fortress Europe’, refugees, mainly from Afghanistan and Syria, were forced to turn back and ultimately choose a more hazardous entry into Greece by sea.
On the 14th December 2012, 29 refugees didn’t reach their destination. According to the testimony of the only survivor, the boat in which they were travelling suddenly turned upside down. 21 corpses were recovered over the next 2 days while the rest, including children, are still unaccounted for. Continue reading In the “village of all together” waiting for the police….→
The network of volunteer organisations and active civilians of Lesvos “Village of All Together” reached it’s 100th day of life. The initiatives of the VoAT were supported by members of our network, the social polyclinic, farmacy and shops, offering food supply for families who can not afford buying food and the reception / hosting of migrants and refugees. Finally the VoAT organised a support initiative for a village that had recently been hit by strong rainfalls.
With the functioning of PIKPA as an open reception centre for migrants and refugees we experienced a wave of volunteering and solidarity from the local society surpassing all our expectations.
MYTILINI – PIKPA
THREE WEEKS SINCE THE OPENING AND WE STILL WAIT FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO COMPLY WITH THE MINIMUM OF WHAT THEY PROMISED
In the last weeks we have seen again refugees arriving on Mytilini who due to lacking infrastructures of reception on the island are piled up in miserable detention cells or if these were absolutely overcrowded they found provisory shelter in parks, squares and public places until the moment when the inhabitants of the island attempted to find another solution for them.
Three weeks ago new arriving homeless refugees were firstly transferred to the childrens’ summer camp of PIKPA Mytilini.
The transfer was a result of the pressure of the local society and the worsening weather conditions which followed and which could have had tragic consequences for the lives of the homeless refugees. Continue reading Mytilini, 14.12.12: PRESS RELEASE→
Civilians’ Initiative: “The village of all-together”
Within the last days the drama of hundreds of fellow citizens, which is already touching the limits to a humanitarian crisis once more evolves in Lesvos in front of the eyes of thousands of fellow citizens. Two months ago approx. active inhabitants of Levos, collectivities and NGOs, decided to build a network, to unite their powers and co-ordinate their actions with the aim to offer help to the ones really in need, when they recognised in time the catastrophic consequences of the crisis for all fellow citizens – migrants and non-migrants. In this way the «Village of all-together» was born. Our first demand towards the authorities was a few months ago to grant a place of shelter for the homeless migrants who until then were either wandering around our city desperately or being stuffed into overcrowded unsuitable places of detention. This demand was never answered at that time.
Today we, the members of the initiative, run a open reception shelter for migrants in the former tent-camp PIKPA, struggling daily with all our energy for securing food, covering basic needs, clothes, legal and medical aid for more than 60 migrants. Of course nothing could have been done without the massive solidarity of hundreds of fellow citizens who support until today this prototypical effort by cooking food, bringing warm clothes and other things they might lack themselves. Continue reading Civilians’ Initiative: “The village of all-together” / Opening of PIKPA→
