Tag Archive for 'EVROS'

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Frontex heavily criticised by Human Rights Watch for their involvement in Evros – and PR response by Frontex

Published on September 21, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

Human Rights Watch published today, on the 21st of September 2011 a report about the Frontex operation in Evros underlining the international responsibility on the human rights violations against sans-papiers and asylum seekers in the detention centres of the region.

paranoiex securitex frontex


The EUs dirty hands
The EUs Dirty Hands: Frontex Involvement in Ill-Treatment of Migrant Detainees in Greece

Frontex reacted immediately with a press release:

FRONTEX’S REACTION TO HRW REPORT
Warsaw, 21 September 2011 – Frontex welcomes the revised report of HRW and is satisfied to note that its comments on the original draft were taken on board. The report now highlights an issue, which we agree, is of great importance.

A Frontexian in Evros


We would like to recall that Frontex fully respects and strives for promoting Fundamental Rights in its border control operations which, however, do not include organization of, and responsibility for, detention on the territory of the Member States, which remains their exclusive remit.
Continue reading ‘Frontex heavily criticised by Human Rights Watch for their involvement in Evros – and PR response by Frontex’

The Greek police brought us to the border, silently like the smugglers, then they pushed us back

Published on September 13, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Evros: Push-back of Afghan unaccompanied minor October 2007

The fourth time I tried to enter Greece I came through Evros. The police arrested me and my friend who was also as young as me. We had to discuss a lot until they accepted us to be Afghans. They did not give us food until the next day. Nobody asked how old we are. They only asked our names. They brought us to Tyhero prison, they took our money and mobile phones. We were 200 persons in each cell – in total 400, I think. At least it was like in this in the night we were deported. Minors and adults were all together. We stayed five days. Then they put 50 of us into a truck in the night. After one hour we arrived at the river. We were waiting inside the truck. There was the sound of the Turkish soldiers. We could hear it inside the truck. They started again driving. In another place near the river on a dust road we were told to leave the truck in groups of 20. There were soldiers, civil police, border police. They told us to walk silently and don’t make any noise. Then we had to sit and wait. Then they put us into small inflatable boats – each 20 persons and two Greek police officers. They brought us to the Turkish side and told us to leave. Then they returned. The whole prison was returned to Turkey! Not all from one place, in groups of hundreds they spread us along the border. There were Palestinians, Pakistani, Afghans, Iranians… all boys and men.

Letter of prisoners in Fylakio

Published on September 13, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

We prisoners in Filakio need your help from the outside. We do not have access to other cells, we don’t get fresh air, the water is dirty, food is just enough to survive, we cannot go outside.

When someone is sick, we cannot reach the doctor for help. Again and again, people fall sick since the toilets are dirty. We want to leave this prison. The police is beating us again and again, on our hands, on our feet, they insult us endlessly. Nobody answers our question to what our future will be. There are even people that have gone crazy, and still we cannot leave. We are a lot of people, with different nationalities, in one cell.
We have not committed any crime, and we have not chosen this fate.
We have fled war, oppression and poverty to reach European democratic countries.

Somebody tell us what is awaiting us, what will happen to us.

We prisons from Filakio, we are thankful that people are listening to us now.

Recently one of the prisoners went on hungerstrike. He fainted after 12 days of hungerstrike. After two days in hospital he was brought back to the prison cell. Nobody took note of his protest.

Press Release by the open Plenum in Orestiada against the repression in detention (in Greek)

See also: http://infomobile.w2eu.net/2011/09/12/situation-in-fylakio-in-september-2011/

Fylakio in September 2011

Published on September 12, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , .

Yesterday we received a phone-call from relatives of Syrian refugees, who have been prisoners in Fylakio (Northern Greece) since a few days:

Today I talked with somebody who was released a few days ago from Fylakio prison about his experiences there. He didn’t want to talk about it first. He said he didn’t want me to feel sorry for something that happened to him, and make me suffer, me and my family. But I said to him: “Tell me the whole truth. The people have to know what happens in there!” Continue reading ‘Fylakio in September 2011’

Giving back names and dignity to lost migrants

Published on September 7, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

Fountain to remember the dead and the missing at the Greek-Turkish border in Tichero (Northern Greece)

John lost his wife Jane and Tahera her husband Bashir in the Evros River. They represent hundreds of other migrants who drowned in the water, were killed by landmines or are still missing. Their dead bodies were treated disrespectfully: In 2010 we discovered a mass grave in Sidero where the corpses could not be identified. We returned to give back a piece of dignity to the dead and also those who survived.

Continue reading ‘Giving back names and dignity to lost migrants’

Revolt in Fylakio detention centre: 3rd September 2011

Published on September 4, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

On Saturday afternoon immigrants held in the detention center of Fylakio, Evros, set fire to mattresses.
Border police forced the inmates out of the building, where they were guarded by riot police units, while fire brigade that arrived from the city of Orestiada managed to put out the fire.
One immigrant was transferred by ambulance to the Medical Center of Orestiada.
This revolt is only one of many. Immigrants detained in Fylakio and other detention centres and prisons have been struggling for their freedom and access to their basic rights ever since.
greek article in Preza TV 6th of September 2011

Only recently the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced that for almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention in Evros region.

Meanwhile, greek navy and coast police keep searching for survivors from early Saturday shipwreck near the island of Kefalonia. Unfortunately the number of dead will probably rise to 19.

see also:
http://clandestinenglish.wordpress.com/

John missing Jen

Published on July 28, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

John is missing Jen.
Jen got lost when she tried to cross the border to Greece. Maybe she drowned in Evros, the river between Turkey and Greece. We will mourn Jen and all the refugees that died during the attempt to overcome Fortress Europe on the 30th of August 2011 in Evros. We want to give back a piece of dignity, to those whose death disappeared — right here — into the senselessness of the European borders. And we will gather for giving back a piece of dignity to those who survived. We will create a memorial space.
In the year 2010 more than 50 persons lost their lives in the border space of Evros. In 2011 the numbers of dead have reached already more than 20. The creation of a 12,5 km long fence in Evros that started in July 2011 will increase the danger at this border even more but it will not stop people from fleeing to Europe.

A better healing will only come by actually knowing what happened

Interview with John, Athens, 11.05.11.

Continue reading ‘John missing Jen’

letter from the hunger strikers of Soufli 09.05.11

Published on May 9, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .


soufli: letter of hunger strikers (in Greek)

NEW poster: detention letter

Published on May 9, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

in English:

in Greek:

hunger strike in Soufli detention centre since 28th of April!!!!!

Published on April 30, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

12 refugees detained in Soufli border guard station in the region of Evros started at the 28th of April 2011 a hunger strike in protest against the detention conditions and demanding freedom. Among them are: 5 Iranians, 3 Iraqis, 2 Syrians, one Turk and one Nigerian. Six of them are asylum seekers. The average detention time of the hunger strikers varies from 10 days to more than 5 months!!!!!
Due to the inhuman and degrading detention conditions in Soufli border guard station which has an official capacity of 25, but hosts in average around 130-160 sans-papiers or even more, the hunger strike becomes more and more difficult and dangerous for their lives. The struggling refugees drink only water, salt and sugar, which they have to buy in order to have access. Out of the originally 12 strikers, thus, now have remained 7.

See the latest article about the hunger strike (in Greek):
http://tvxs.gr/news/ελλάδα/σε-απεργία-πείνας-μετανάστες-κρατούμενοι-στο-σουφλί-έβρου