Humanitarian crisis on the border with Greece
- The situation is blackened between the Turkish and Greek borders: there are thousands of refugees there concentrated against those who rape both police and fascists; there are already two deaths. To denounce this situation, on Wednesday they will conduct concentrations in Bilbao.
On 27 February, the Syrian army killed more than 30 Turkish soldiers in Idlib, and following the attack, Turkey has opened its borders to refugees with the intention of putting pressure on Europe. Since then, the situation has become increasingly grim on the border between Turkey and Greece.
There are thousands of people trapped between the two borders and, over time, the number of refugees on the doorstep of Greece is increasing. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government opened Turkey’s borders and Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s borders closed. Beyond the closing of borders, the Greek Government has taken more extremist measures: It has suspended asylum applications for one month and has announced its intention to speed up deportations.
In this situation, clashes between the police and refugees are increasingly taking place. The Greek police are violently preventing the passage of refugees heading for their country. Several images show how they have been attacked with tear gas and children:
Updates and scenes from the Greek-Turkish border and the Greek island Lesbos, where hundreds of refugees have been stranded after Turkey opened the border last week (thread below). pic.twitter.com/hqJ22bzS1N
— redfish (@redfishstream) March 2, 2020
Violence against refugees is extreme and is causing death. Mohammad al Arab, a 22-year-old Syrian, was killed by the Greek Police when he was trying to cross the border and was fled from it. On the other hand, a minor has drowned after flying a boat near the island of Lesbos in Minsk.
The images released on Monday on the network show how coastguards push a boat full of refugees to get on the way back, although it is also seen that they beat with clubs those who travel on the boat. The images were captured by Mark Stone, who, in addition to shocks and shocks, the coastguards fired at the water:
NEW: The Turkish authorities have sent us this video which they claim was filmed at 0726 this morning off Bodrum. It shows Greek coastguard carrying out ‘pushbacks’ of migrant dinghies. Shots are also fired into the water. More @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/GrlXGNIRTt
— Mark Stone (@Stone_SkyNews) March 2, 2020
Fascist action has made the violent context even more violent. Refugees arriving in Lesbos are attacked and cut off by the far right. The roads on the island have been the subject of controls that have prevented the passage through it. Journalist Hibai Arbide took up in this video the screams of the newcomers to Turkey, shouting that they would return to Turkey:
Racists shouting at refugees to return to Turkey. Inhumanity. pic.twitter.com/ZiIYwxEtQF
— · Hibai Arbide Aza · (@Hibai_) March 1, 2020
Fascists are also aggressive against journalists and non-governmental organizations. On Sunday, for example, the United Nations Refugee Assistance Agency, UNHCR, set fire to the Lesbos refugee reception centre:
UNHCR Stage 2 in the north of #Lesvos, that served as a first reception for refugees landing in the north is on fire. It was closed down in the last weeks. An hour before a mob gathered there to attack those on solidarity with #₡esgr. Video posted here not mine. pic.twitter.com/uJqx87tsAC
— Franziska Grillmeier (@FranziEire) March 1, 2020
On Sunday, members of the NGO Euskal Herriko Zaporeak were also attacked in Pamplona/Iruña.
Concentrations in Bilbao
The ONGI platform Etorri Errefuxiatuak has called in Bilbao a day of mobilisation in the face of the situation of refugees in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. Under the motto "a guilty Europe", two mobilisations will be held on 4 March, one against the Turkish Consulate and the other against the Greek Consulate. Concentrations will be conducted at 11:00 and 12:00 hours, respectively.
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