Tag Archive for 'refugee stories'

Page 3 of 3

“You always wish it’s your last day here in Komunisia.” – interview

Interview with the two refugees A. and Y., from Sudan
21st of May 2011, Komunisia
by Infomobile

A. and Y., refugees from Sudan talk about their living-conditions in Igoumenitsa, the second largest port from Greece towards Italy. We are sitting in the mountain, looking at the port-area of “Komunisia” how the refugees call it. A few hundred refugees from all war-zones of the world are living on this mountain. Some days ago, at the 3rd of May, the refugees’ settlements in the mountain have been attacked by fascists out of a demonstration.

Waiting room Komunisia: One minute feels like one year on this mountain

Afterwards the police drew an invisible ‘red line’ and prevented refugees from entering the city. More than 450 refugees have been arrested in May 2011 – double than the average monthly arrests of 2010. Police guards the garbage cans and so the refugees are starving from hunger. We are sitting on this mountain in Europe and we hope for their chance to go!

Continue reading ‘“You always wish it’s your last day here in Komunisia.” – interview’

letter from the hunger strikers of Soufli 09.05.11


soufli: letter of hunger strikers (in Greek)

NEW poster: detention letter

in English:

in Greek:

under the sky – unaccompanied minors in Greece

We were just released from the prison in Evros, where we stayed for more than one month. We were in one cell with more than 30 adult men, some of them penal detainees. It was very hard. We had to argue with them to be allowed to sleep inside. The first days we were sleeping outside. Just one of us stayed in the yard in the end. He could not sleep inside, because of the smell, the dirt and the noise so he preferred the cold. We were released an brought to a reception centre for minors. We only stayed there for 2 days. We didn’t come to Greece in order to stay here. So we came to Athens 2 days ago. We just know the park. Where can we get something to eat. We didn’t eat since yesterday. I don’t know any place here.
In this park there are many people sleeping. Also families. Every night we sleep in some other corner. Most people don’t sleep in the night, but they walk up and down and smoke all the time. It is scary to sleep here in the night. Better to sleep when the sun comes out! We have nothing. Only the clothes on our body. It is ok. Actually it is not ok. It is cold in the night, but what can we do?
In some days we will try to leave Greece. Inshallah!

letters from the prisons of Evros

To whom it may concern

This is to inform the authority of UN that the female prison of Alexandra police Ferix (Ferres) need freedom, because most people here are due to be free. Most of them are three months and two months plus. And the environment we are is not good, example, the toilette and bathroom are attached to the room where we are sleeping, so when the water stopps running and there is no water to clean the toilette, it becomes impossible to sleep the room. In that case we all go outside to sleep.
We desire to know the reason why we black Africans are not released on time, while the white Africans are been released on time.
So therefore we have decided not to eat, because we need freedom, if they don’t free us, something terrible will happen. But all the same, we need freedom.
May god bless you. Amen.

I am talking as one of the detainees of this prison:

1. There is no freedom of speech here
2. We can not sleep in silence and safety
3. There is not enough food for all
4. There is no clean place to pray.
5. We want food that respects our religious restrictions on eating pork
6. The toilettes and shower are not clean, no humans can use them
7. The police officers does not respect religions in fascists way both muslim and christian and they don’t allow us to pray
8. There is no doctor and proper farmacy to take care of the sick
9. The cells are dirty, it smells, we are all sick. We all have skin problems and psychological problems

We all demand from the government to free us, to let us go to work in Europe.
We all came to Europe for work. We didn’t come here to cause trouble. We all left our countries because we were poor and hungry; there was no democracy in our home. We left because of the fascism we faced in our countries.

Please see our problems with a human eye and with mercy

In the name of god

Everybody knows that the reason why all the young people leave from their home countries is that they cannot live without freedom and justice.
This is why we chose this road.
This is why we are suffering. We regret our choice. The reason? Here in prison we are not fine. They violate our rights; there cannot be human rights within four walls. I don’t know what to think. We have been injured and our wounds teach us to flee to Greece – for the freedom. They teach us to live and claim our rights. But it is worse than we thought. I don’t know what to think; I don’t know which other road to follow. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know where I will be.
Return, Europe or prison.
We had smiles and hope, but Greece embraced us with racism and with hate. A bitter hate and anger. My asylum is no sin. Why do we have to be here? The prison has burned our minds. I am sorry that I cannot describe all my life to you, but only I can write a small letter. Because I hate myself so much, I cannot even speak. Thank you for your co-operation, your help and for reading this letter.

From the detainees

Friday, 8th October: Protest against fascists in Attiki and police beating of Dublin II returnee

Demonstration of solidary people and Afghan refugees in Attiki

This is one of the seldom afternoons that the afghans reconquerεδ the square. A group of 1000 people, among them many Afghan refugees, women and children gathered in the afternoon in Attiki Square to protest against the fascist movement that is occupying the place since the end of September 2010 and that already has expulsed all forms of human life from the St. Panteleimon Church.

Continue reading ‘Friday, 8th October: Protest against fascists in Attiki and police beating of Dublin II returnee’

“The police tried to frighten us!”, M. from Afghanistan (13)

The 13 year old unaccompanied minors M. from Afghanistan spent more than 80 days in the detention centre of Fylakio / Evros upon arrival in Greece. He was arrested in the end of 2010 and released in January 2011. We meet shortly before his departure to Patras.

I want to go to Sweden,

he says. The shy boy is horrified by his experiences in Greece.

We were more than 90 children in one cell. It was so crowded that we were sleeping two persons in one bed and we were constantly falling out of the loft beds because there wasn’t enough space. We could not understand why they did not let us go. For 30 days they did not release any of us, so we started to protest. I think the police did not like that. They took 7 of us into the room with the telephones. From outside they threw petrol onto the floor of the room and lit fire. They wanted us to be afraid so that we stop protesting but we were not afraid! They also beat us with brooms.

I am from Bamyan state in Afghanistan but I grew up in Qum, Iran. I was working in a manufactory where we were producing slippers.

Where is your family?

“I don’t have so much family,” he says in a silent voice so I don’t ask any further questions.

“I come from problem. I don’t want to be a problem!”

I come from problem. I don’t want to be a problem.

Jawed Nouri, Afghan refugee in Bulgaria
Interview made during the Infomobile-Tour (July-August 2010)

My name is Jawed Nouri. I am from Afghanistan citizen, and I am 24 years old and now I am in Bulgaria asking for asylum. Until now not successfully. I entered Bulgaria in 2003 and still I am here. Why we left Afghanistan, this I want to explain. And I also want to talk about Bulgaria and why I was in prison for three years!

Continue reading ‘“I come from problem. I don’t want to be a problem!”’