At Greek refugee camp, thousands languish in terrible conditions

PIRAEUS REFUGEE CAMP, Greece – At a camp in the Greek port city of Piraeus, more than 5,000 would-be migrants languish in a virtual no-man’s land, living in cramped tents and lacking even basic facilities like enough toilets.

The camp has only 13 toilets and one bathroom for the thousands of refugees who arrived in Greece with hopes of crossing over to other European Union countries, only to get trapped: last month, Turkey signed a deal with the EU that means refugees arriving in Greece will be deported back to Turkey.

“The tent we live in is very small. We ask for a tent at least large enough for us to easily move around in,” a Kurdish refugee who sat in a tiny green tent told Rudaw.

Although Greece is under serious economic pressure -- from the refugees and its own internal crisis – yet ordinary Greeks say they want to help the refugees as much as they can.

“We want to embrace the refugees and share with them what we have -- clothes, food, basic needs and whatever we can,” said a Greek woman. “Even If we can’t do anything for them, we can make them smile,” she added.

“All the refugees want to go to other European countries, but it is impossible for them to get  to Europe from Greece,” said another Greek woman, referring to last month’s Turkey-EU deal.

“Refugees must return to Turkey and ask the Turkish government to send them to Europe from there, or the EU must review the agreement with Turkey. Refugees are like caged prisoners here,” she added.

A Rudaw reporter in the Kurdistan Region’s border town of Duhok said Sunday that Iraqi refugees who have traveled to Greece through Turkey are now being deported by the Turkish government on a daily basis.  

A Rudaw reporter said that Iraqi refugees are arriving at the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing every day, and while most have been deported some have returned voluntarily.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from Rudaw http://ift.tt/1VurLis
via Defense News