Police buses arrived at Victoria Square in downtown Athens on Monday evening to transfer recognized refugees to accommodation centers. Hundreds of people, among them many children, arrived from the Moria camp on the island of Lesvos to Piraeus by ferry and from there to Athens on Thursday night.
They have been sleeping on a piece of cloth starched out on the pavement and the square ever since.
According to local news website stonisi, the refugees had traveled on their own expenses to the Greek capital.
It is unclear whether they had to leave Moria as the Greek government stopped providing recognized refugees with accommodation since June 1. Yet, state broadcaster ERT TV reported on Tuesday that the refugees at Victoria Sq are those who have been “evicted” from the camps after June 1. A total of 800 recognized refugees left the islands in the last 10 days, ERT said. The report added that they can apply for accommodation at the Helios program “but they choose to come to Victoria Sq.”
According to media, the refugees at Victoria Square have “blue stamp” that is give to specific group of asylum seekers. That is their right to asylum has been recognized and they can travel without geographical restrictions.
I hared on the news of some TV channel, that they have no right to work.
No work, no accommodation and nowhere to go. Children of a lesser God.
“From the hell in Moria, homeless in Victoria Sq.”
Από την κόλαση της Μόριας άστεγοι στην Πλατεία Βικτωρίας. Πολλά παιδιά. #refugeesgr #homeless #plateiaviktorias pic.twitter.com/7jfx8NGjW2
— lolos marios (@lolosmarios) June 14, 2020
Monday night, some media report that around 20 refugees have been transferred to Elaionas center in Athens, that, however, is full and has no available capacity.
Αστυνομία τώρα στην πλατεία Βικτωρίας. Επιχειρείται να μεταφερθούν πρόσφυγες, ίσως προς Ελαιώνα. #refugeesgr pic.twitter.com/8PX6NMkGaz
— Savvas Karmaniolas (@savvaskarma) June 15, 2020
It should be noted that the Greek Asylum Service has recently issued asylum decisions massively after two months of closure due to the coronavirus.
According to media information, dozens of recognized refugees depart the islands for Athens.
“Those whose application has been rejected, are also being guided to Athens, as no deportations to Turkey are taking place at this time,” note daily efsyn.
At the same time, the complete lack of preparation for a smooth integration of these people into the urban fabric, which also means access to social welfare programs – access that is difficult due to unresolved bureaucratic hurdles – leads refugees to homelessness.
Approximately 300 people have been transferred and are living in tents in the camp of Malakasa, in Attica.
PS For social problems Greece has only one solution: police. For social problems with refugees and asylum seekers: police and transfers.
“problem solved” *sigh*
The immigration topic has been and still is handled so poorly by the EU. Governments routinely flout the Schengen-rules. The EU has no concept at all how to solve this topic which meanwhile causes many problems on all ends. I wonder how Merkel can be so stupid to think Europe can solve such problem simply by paying off the Turkish. We all know where this money goes to. She suffer’s a complete loss of reality and overestimation of her own capabilities. It is just insane. Everyone with a spark of intellect understands that eliminating internal borders requires strengthening of external borders. The purpose of the EU is not to solve the problems of the whole world. The EU even struggles to solve it’s own problems. And on top we have all those far left people who are paid by non-governmental organizations (NGO) to support illegal mass immigration making it even worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against migration, BUT the EU must start to enforce the applicable migration laws, stick to these rules, develop concepts how to deal with the influx of migrants (which includes a summery of how they plan to integrate these people with different cultural and religious background into our western societies and a summary about the costs caused by migration and how these costs will be financed) and finally they must start to strengthen Europe’s external borders. The problems caused my illegal immigration are evident in all EU countries. Therefore all EU countries should have an interest to solve this problem adequately instead of paying off Turkey.