Message by the union of African nationals (refugees in Ermioni) in Greece…
We, African refugees resident in Ermioni, have the honour to bring to your knowledge the perpetual threat of our security.
We send out this alarming and disgraced message to all national and international organisations defending the cause of refugees and all persons of good will who can defend us from this insecurity and racial segregation, and restore and recognise our international human rights as no one wishes to be a refugee.
Following the economic crisis that has hit Greece, a large number of young refugees live an intolerable life in this village. Depite hard work, we are badly paid, badly housed, have no access to health care, and have no consideration from the Greeks and the authorities in the village because of the colour of our skin. This situation gone even further than we had believed, shooting us at point-blank like wild animals and making us disappear into nature one after the other. We are evoking here two cases among thousands:
1) It was 29 October 2011 at 8am exactly when two youngsters were waiting for their boss on the road in order to get to work. A Greek man found them and asked them to be quiet, brandishing a knife against these youngsters. The latter picked up stones to defend themselves, and the Greek man went home, took a hunting rifle and returned and shot the black youngsters who were seriously wounded and transported to hospital. The police was notified but there was no follow-up, no legal proceedings made against the criminal and no cover or compensation for the victims.
2) In the same zone where the youngsters were shot, this time it is the disappearance of one of our brothers Mamadou Samba Diallo on Saturday 28 January 2012 at his workplace Porto Hidra programme, where he was employed by the boss Inco.
Here is the information gathered by one of the collaborators: the missing person was in his sixth day of work, his friend came to get him for lunch but the victim replied his was not ready. His friend left and returned later to his workplace situated next to the sea. He did not see his friend again. Later, he asked his boss who confirmed having seen him in the sea playing on the floaters and in the water. Maybe he drowned. Three days later, the boss told us that seamen saw some clothes somewhere in the sea. The police, once again informed about this disappearance, has not carried out any investigation to find the missing person.
Excuse us to ask to all organisations and people of good will to help us find our brother as our security is more at threat than ever.