Caravan of Syrian refugees leave Turkey for Greece and Europe; reports
September 14, 2022
Greece, Politics
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Greece’s Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis dismissed reports by Turkish media claiming that a caravan of thousands of Syrian refugees is moving towards Greece and Europe.
“A caravan of refugees has not yet been formed, and it has yet to be demonstrated that the efforts of those on social media are generating a climate of mobilization,” said Mitarakis, referring to a report by Turkish daily Milliyet.
Speaking to Skai FM, Mitarakis said he has notified the European Union, the EU commissioner for Home Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the competent committee of the European Parliament and the Frontex on the issue..
“There is an attempt in Turkey to weaponize the migration issue, while at the same time, the Turks are attempting to deport migrants due to their own economic difficulties,” Mitarakis noted.”
According to Turkish daily Milliyet on Tuesday, a large group of Syrians in Turkey is planning to form a caravan to reach the European Union.
Plans to form a caravan to travel to the EU from Turkey are being drawn up online via a Telegram channel and other social media was set up last week, It is followed by almost 70,000 people.
Organizers are calling on people to bring sleeping bags, tents, life jackets, water, canned food and first aid kits.
Those interested to join the caravan are forming groups of 50 people to start a new wave of migration.
“We will announce it when it’s time to go”, one organizer who wished to remain anonymous, told news agency AFP.
Some of the organizers already lived in the EU, he added.
The …campaign organized by human traffickers is called “Caravan of Light.”
According to an independent journalist on Twitter, Syrians refugees say that they want to leave Turkey because they are not being treated well and that “Turks are racists.”
Some media in Syria reported that there are also people in northern Syria who try to get into turkey and join the caravan.
It is worth mentioning that several pictures showing large groups of people walking in undefined landscapes have been published on social media by Arab speaking social media channels.
Nevertheless, Greek and European authorities seem to be on alert and closely monitoring the issue.
*thumbnail picture: archive
