Week 11, Unfairly Imprisoned.

As the refugee situation here in Greece continues to evolve, much of which I’m sure you’ve seen in the media, I’d like to share a lesser known story of a smaller refugee demographic that I believe deserves more attention that it currently is getting.

It starts with a couple of us on the team who have going down to the town’s police station each night to serve tea and cup noodles to those in the prison.   A few of those detained have actually been charged with smuggling, including the boat smugglers that I wrote about in my last blog entry. 

Two smugglers were caught on this boat, which was brought safely to shore with more than 200 refugees aboard.

But that’s a sidebar.  I’m really writing about the majority of those who are in the prison.  A group of men who are being detained not because of what they’ve done, but because of where they were born.  As the Greek government tries different approaches to deal with the ongoing migrant situation, one decision has been to detain and jail any migrants of North African nationalities. 

The local police station has a prison cell that is sized appropriately for this small and peaceful island.  So needless to say, it is not large.  The numbers of detainees vary, but last night for example, there were 31 in the cell which I think has 6 beds, and the remainder were cuffed to the seats in the waiting area.

There is also no system to properly feed all those detained, hence we are permitted to go and hand out a simple cup of tea and cup noodles to each person every evening.

The men are generally polite, appreciative of us, the food we bring, and also just the short exchange of greetings and words.  A few of them speak quite fluent English and it’s tough, among the conversations, to continually be asked questions like: WHY are we in here? How long are we going to be here? and When can we leave to go to Germany?

The truth is, A. They’re in prison because they’re Moroccan and Algerian, if they held Syrian passports, they might already be halfway to Germany.  B. We have no idea how long they’ll be in prison but some have been over a month, and C. They most likely are not heading to Germany or anywhere else in Europe, but instead, for deportation to Turkey.

We’ve been told that once there are enough people in detainment, they’re sent to Athens to be officially processed for deportation Turkey.  They’ll have a chance there to either purchase a flight ticket back to their home country (which I’m sure the majority won’t have the money to do), or be further imprisoned in Turkey, which has a reputation for below standard facilities.  

So along with the Syrians, Afghanis, and Iraqis who are fleeing to the Greek shores, please remember the Moroccans and Algerians, who come from places that have their rightful share of problems as well. Like the other migrants, these have people sacrificed and left their homes in hopes of a decent life only to be met in Europe with handcuffs and deportation papers.

It is a difficult discussion between who is truly a refugee in the sense that they’re fleeing from war, and who is  "just" an economic migrant seeking the opportunity of a better life.  I don’t think that Europe in its current state is able to accommodate everyone who would like to live there.  However, I hope and pray that we would be able to give more consideration to each person, for who they are, rather than make sweeping verdicts over whole groups of people.

Drawn by a refugee and posted on the wall of a housing unit.

You have been a refuge for the poor, 
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall.

                                       - Isaiah 25:4

I was concerned that there wasn’t much media coverage about this situation, so was happy to see this fairly objective and well written article published a few days ago.  I share many of the same sentiments as the author. http://www.globalresearch.ca/locked-up-refugees-from-north-africa-on-samos-island-wed-rather-die-eaten-by-fish-than-eaten-by-worms/5500617

Καλή χρονιά! (Happy New Year)

 Hi Friends! 

I hope you've had a great Christmas and New Year's and had a chance to celebrate, catch up with family and friends, and rest and prepare for a new year ahead! 

New Year's eve 2015 was pretty special for me as I spent it with some of my team at the home of one of our local staff.  One of the joys of serving overseas is the wide breadth of cultures, languages, and backgrounds I get to meet.  With backgrounds from Albanian, to American, Canadian, Egyptian, French, Filipino, Turkish, and of course, Greek, and a combined 10+ languages (I lost count..) at the table, the conversation and topics truly range all over the globe! 

Apologies for the lull in posting.  Since the last post in November, I returned home after almost six weeks on the island of Lesvos, and then returned to Greece about three weeks ago, and have been splitting my time on several islands since my return.

Sunrise in Leros, awaiting a Coast Guard boat to arrive with a number of new arrivals.

So here's the first of what I'll try to make more regular updates.  It's a bit of a somber post to start the year, but just some of the thoughts and experiences from continuing to serve here.

One of our translators (let’s call him John) didn’t make it back to the hotel after his shift at the port refugee registration site this afternoon.  Someone thought he had perhaps had gone with the police to assist with some translations as there had been rumours that the police had detained two smugglers, suspected of running boats across from Turkey.   Not long after, John came into our office, visibly shaken, and exhausted, both physically and emotionally, having indeed spent hours at the Greek police station translating every word of the interrogations of the two smugglers.

We work in an environment where we meet daily the refugees newly arriving across the sea from Turkey.   The most fortunate arrive excited, elated at having made it to Europe, and they hope, their new homes and lives.  Most arrive cold, wet, exhausted, scared, having endured hours of harrowing waves crashing against their overcrowded plastic rafts aimed in the general direction of what the smugglers have told them is Europe.  Many others don’t arrive, having been turned back or rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard.   And lastly, some arrive, in bags, often surrounded by destitute and grieved family, and somberly carried away off of the Coast Guard rescue boats. 

Just this morning, while at port, we were told how some of the newly turned up refugees couldn’t even get of the boat or walk after having been beaten so badly by the smugglers for an unknown reason. All this to say that it is no secret the heartlessness of the smugglers, their incredibly greedy demands, their random acts of violence, and their carefree defiance in sending boat after ill equipped boat in even the most unforgiving conditions. 

Yet, I know for John, it was something entirely new and disturbing to have to listen to and translate the statements and confessions of the smugglers.  He told us that they explained how they smuggled people through the Turkish side, crammed as many people onto each boat to maximize profit, and decided it was such a profitable business to get into in the first place.   

I’m glad that they caught these two men, who will be sentenced without delay in Greek court tomorrow morning.  However, I know that for each of these men there exists multitudes more that continue to jeopardize helpless lives in the name of profit, and that probably will never be held to account for their evil deeds. 

John will be summoned again to translate tomorrow morning for the court sentencing which we hope will be quick given that the smugglers have already openly confessed to their crimes. 

Is this a win?  A small one I guess, although I don’t know that anyone is in a celebratory mood because of it.  But it’s a strong reminder to me of our brokenness, and how we can go astray if we don’t continually pursue a path of righteousness.

 Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

                                       - Isaiah 1:17