AYS Daily Digest 16/12/20: With news of more militia attacks, Europe resumes deportations to…
By: Ellen Elias-Bursac
Tags: Refugees, Europe, Migration, Digest, Afghanistan

THE MEDITERRANEAN

Sadly, on daily basis, more people have lost their lives attempting to reach Europe. Four unidentified bodies, presumably of people on the move, were found washed ashore in Libya. Reportedly, one body was recovered near Refinary Point and three in Al-Harsha area.

Photo: Migrant rescue watch

On Tuesday Tunisia’s navy said it had intercepted 93 people of African descent after their boat ran into trouble in the Mediterranean Sea during an attempt to reach Italy, media reported.

In the Spanish waters, Maritime Rescue has rescued 41 people this Wednesday from a boat located in the waters of the Alboran Sea.

A month ago Aegean Boat Report launched the ABR Hotline, to connect with ABR on Whatsapp. The Hotline can be used to send information, pictures and video to Aegean Boat Report, all senders will be kept anonymous.

In emergencies please use Emergency numbers for your area, or the international emergency number 112

GREECE

Islands — evicted with no housing plan, while others are stuck in a worsening situation

According to a government decision, at least 200 people from Kos, Leros, Rhodes and Samos will be forced to leave the apartments where they have been living until now. They have stayed in the accommodation thanks to the Hospitality program provided for vulnerable people in search for international protection. As where they will go in the middle of winter at the end of the year remains unknown, both those affected and those working to help them remain clueless and deeply worried.

On Lesvos, due to the lockdown, the vast majority of asylum seekers are not allowed to leave the makeshift tent camp. At the same time, access to NGOs is prohibited. Reportedly, in order to distribute food or provide medical aid, the aid organizations are looking for alternatives.

The horrid conditions in Kara Tepe / Moria 2 remain the same, exposing people to further dangers, as we reported yesterday. There is no real change in sight.

Photos: Moria White Helmets

Morale has never been so low, the indignity never so deliberate, and indifference never so pervasive among elected leaders. Winter is here on Lesvos, and it will just be getting worse.

Patras

NNK volunteers write on the situation in Patras:

Photo: No Name Kitchen

How’s like living in Patras’ abandoned factories? People here are involved in an everyday routine made of days which seem all the same: eating, going for the game, and, if everything goes wrong, coming back to sleep in this old, enormous and cold dismissed buildings. In their own priorities hierarchy’, trying to win “the game” occupies always the first place, often obscuring all the rest. Every basic need becomes in this way a secondary thing, as they have to spend the day waiting for the right truck, hiding from the police: the timing of this life is not the same as in a peaceful existence. And, regardless what they’ve eaten, regardless they don’t have the possibility to have a wash, regardless where they feel pain, they want to try winning this game in order not to come back in the factories, making life harder every day, especially when you get stuck in this place for long periods. Taking care becomes therefore a priority: bringing food, clothes and blankets can make the day more livable and the night warmer. For this reason, we here in Patras let this solidarity become our activity, supporting everyday more than a hundred of people, standing altogether on the same side in these hard times. And, fortunately, we are not alone in this mission, thanks to the continuous donations and the support that we receive, so we want to give thanks to the different NGOs that helped us in our work.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Stories from Velika Kladuša…

CROATIA / ONLINE

Discussion & Iuventa film screening

AYS representative will take part in the discussion around the issue of the “protection of European values” following a screening of a film about the Iuventa SAR team.

During their 15 missions in the Mediterranean, they rescued about 14,000 people from drowning. But, in 2017 they were accused of running a “taxi service” for the smugglers. The dramatic events and political awakening of the young protagonists were documented in the film Iuventa.

The film will be available for free screening from Thursday, 5pm CET, for 24 hours on the link: https://festivaloftolerance.com/event/iuventa

This will be an introduction for our AYS team member Tajana to speak about the current state of things, which unfortunately changed only for the worse in the meantime, along with some other guests from the political side of things, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion will be available for watching online, on Friday at 6pm CET on https://festivaloftolerance.com/film-i-diskusija

Festival tolerancije — JFF Zagreb / Festival of Tolerance — JFF Zagreb

In the meantime, in Croatia, the AYS team has continued providing support and distributing aid to people in need through our Free Shop, all throughout the coronavirus lockdown, and months in between. However, we are in need of men’s clothes of smaller size and in particular — shoes. If you can help in any way, by sending a pair of sport shoes, hiking boots or similar, let us know and we’ll let you know how we can make that happen. Follow our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts for more info.

FRANCE

Calais — people trying to track down the IDs of those who have died

All those who are in contact with people on the move know how difficult and important the contact is for them with their families. Tragically, more and more young lives end on the journey to a better life, whether via the so called Balkan Route, in the rivers and fields, or on one of the maritime Mediterranean routes, or somewhere in the north. Everywhere there are groups and individuals trying, one last time, to make contact with family and find the identities of the people who died. Made up of local goodwill and several associations such as Utopia56, the Catholic Relief Service or MSF, such a cell formed around Calais that engaged in “survey work” among the people on the move.

“We work for the dignity of the deceased. To notify the relatives, to be able to bury them according to the choice and rite of the family, with an identity, this is what plays out” .

Each time, “it’s a race against time”, they say, stating an important detail that they are always in support of the family, “we do not make decisions for them”.

The work of this “group for the deceased” has helped shed some light on the tragedies that are played out on the English Channel, often in the shadow of those who cross the Mediterranean. Sadly, only a few repatriations are usually organized, and most of the funerals take place in Calais.

International Migration Day: All of France mobilizes for people on the move! Join in!

BELGIUM

Réseau ADES started a campaign in support of regularization of procedures for undocumented people known as sans papiers in the French speaking countries:

GERMANY

Sant’Egidio continues with safe corridors

The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising is supporting the “Humanitarian Corridors” project of the Community of Sant’Egidio with €80,000. The initiative is dedicated, among other things, to rescuing particularly vulnerable people from the refugee camps on the Greek islands. The aim is to bring 300 people, mainly children, the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities, from the camps to mainland Italy, where they can be cared for by community volunteers. Care includes the provision of basic needs such as living space, clothing, food and medical help, but also integration offers such as language courses, legal advice and help with a search for a job.

UK

The British government is planning to house asylum seekers in several “camps” without access to electricity and water after Brexit, according to Caroline Nokes, a Conservative former immigration minister.

In the meantime, people are demonstrating they think differently than their politicians.

The Garden House on Pembroke Road, Norwich, owned by Craft Union Pub Company, is collecting festive donations to go in stockings for young people. They are asking for donations to give Christmas cheer to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and teenagers being cared for in Norfolk. They are appealing to individuals and local companies to donate items for children aged 10–17 including warm clothing, such as hats, gloves and scarfs, books, toiletries, stationary and age-related toys.