One day after the riots inside the hotspot in Moria, and after many refugees passed the night in the olive fields and in front of
the entrnace of the hotspot, in the morning teams started repairing , cleaning and building new tents.
I counted around 200 privat cars parking around the fenced walls of Moria, probably the rebuilding was fast.
A strange feeling to hear that people return to the prison .
Even the minors that where brought in safety in PIKPA camp , and the Siniparxis solidarity group but also politicians where calling the ministery to bring the minors to mainland and not put them again in the prison of the hotspot. But after 3 days freedom they returned, to the prison,
Probably all people hope that being present in Moria will fasten the non existing or very slow procedure of asylum and make it possible for them to go to Athens.
They all dont know that the greek goverment has signed the eu turkey deal and has to keep them inprisoned on the islands as part of the deal.
But people also know that we are on an island and it is impossible to get out of here without the right papers. Or nearly impossible.
Through the riots and the fire, became publik that there is inside moria hotspot a closed area for families and single persons that "agreed for voluntary return“.
The people locked in there where forgotten to evacuate .Thats why the place became publik.
So not only the minors in Moria are locked in, but also there is this second area that nobody new for the "voluntary returns".
Yeasterday some journalist visited the famous prison AMYGDALEZA in athens,
that is now also renued and used for the families that agreed to "voluntary return" to their home countries. The journiast interviewed 2 families that have been for 8-9 months in Lesvos , Moria Karatepe, and where so desperate that they agreed to return, now they are locked in Amygdaleza and wait for their flight back where they fleed from the dangers of the Isis.People are kept in anygdaleza for arounf 10-15 days before going back.. the conditions are again those of a prison and the families with mainly small children are behind fenced wires. A person working for the reek refugee council acompaning the journalsits explained to them that under prison conditions no one is able to decide really about „ voluntary“ return. It is a forced return.Yep.
In the meanwhile the goverment is calling the shipping companies to rent a boat for 1.000 people for a limited time to make it a temporary hotspot in the harbour of mitilini. If this boat is found it should be ariving on Saturday on the island.The asylum procedures in the hotspot take ages becuase of not enough employees.probably it is also part of the deal that it has to be european employees and not greeks.
EASO has made again a job offer for 100 speciaists for asylum for the east aegean islands . 28 „specialist“ responded up to now. Actiually easo had said 2015 they would provide 374 to italy and greece to suport the asylum requests.
The problem they say is that the answers to the apeals take to long up to now.
Last night there was a information that around 20 known fascists where at the athens airport making noise and wanting to fly to lesvos with the late night flight. Later there was a message sayinf they wre not left to enter the flight . Even if this is true the fact that fascist come to the island means no good.
After the attack on the 5 women during the demonstration of the moria inhabitants and the police being present but not reacting , now the media and the police show hwo the attackres where and try to reapir the damage.
Yeastreday a 84 year ld local man went to the entrance of MORIA with a gun and called to the refugees sitting in the cantines there: i will kill you. He has been caught by the police and the judge let him free till the trial. it is the same person that has attacked the Major of Mitilini throughing on his table the head of a dead animal as a sign of protest.
Coming Saturday 24.9. will take place a Ceremony–Marathon in Mitilini in the memory of the 45 Lesvos people killed by the german nazis. The marathon will start at the old villa that the nazis had turned to be the gestapo ofices and prison and will end at TSAMAKIA where under the trees the killings took place. Since years a memorial reminds of the names of the people that where killed by the faschists and Mr. Galetsas since years has collected memories from the surviving family members and made a book in memory of the people.
Many of them have been Greeks from the turkisch side that had to come to Lesvos as refugees and lived here with their families. When the german nazis came many of them , having the knowledge of the sea crossings , suported people that had to flee direction Turkey. Many of the dead are people caught while fleeing and being brought back to Mitilini and then killed in TSAMAKIA near the beach. Or the drivers of the fischer boats.....
"kein fussbreit den faschisten" is the only thought one can have now here. Now and forever on the red island.
and freedom of movement for all.
The european union and specially Germany can not decide who and when will move inside Greece.
Otherwise Greece is a colony.
The politicians who take such decisions schould have the guts to anounce it, so everyone knows. The politicians that take the decisions and the ones that follow them.
Thousands of refugees locked in Hotspots on the greek islands, some for months, dont understand why a european country doesnt give them what they look for and was the reason for them to flee: security and asylum.