It is hard to watch today how lots of people adult and children queue up in no man’s land between Turkish and Greek border lines and control posts. It is even harder to see how many literally make holes in the borders of barbed wire that Greece has set up all along its boundary with Turkey – same thing that Bulgaria did around 2013.
How long would that grip from Turkey hold on since the shabby E.U. deal came into force last march 2016! It was not enough for all of us to witness, cover and denounce that stampede on european soil that was named after that greek macedonian mountain village called «Idomeni».
Look it up on your web browser. Idomeni is gone up into posterity – at least virtually. But it was not enough. Was it only the beginning? of the end?
How long would that ever increasing multitude of displaced crowds from war-torn countries such as Irak and Syria would stick to overpopulated camps and suburbs in neighbours Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, provided they have been given shelter… Have they?
Now, do not miss the whole picture. Those Refugees queuing at the border are only a tiny fraction! You may well forget that Refugees comprise a far broader range of displaced populations than the kurd-arabic one trapped in the Middle East. Do not forget Iranians, Afghanis, Pakistanis, Bangla, Myanmar, Sri-Lanka and a huge bunch from African nationals from Algeria to Congo and Senegal keep atempting the mediterranean crosssings every night and day.
Ok. Now you remember. But still, do you remember those tens of thousands of asylum seekers stranded on the greek agean islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos since 2016. You probably remember Moria. Moria 2016. Moria 2017. Moria 2018… Here is where I step in! I do remember: from Moria 2015 to Moria 2019, when I visited last november.
Meet me: a simple guy that can´t help keep coming over such a dirty place once and again. What for? To grasp some humanity, to welcome heroes from the crossings. To meet up with (four year-)old friends. What have I done? Nothing, but for a few people I came across their way.
What can I do? Nothing. A fracture in my right foot has held me down here on the Canaries, in the Atlantic… Was it not for this broken bone I might be round Moria or Vathy camp supportingly working for camp residents with a partner NGO for platform. And I am grateful! I would be exhausted under the current harasment against the refugee and volunteer community in those places. We need to be grateful to destiny and keep calm.
I need to knee down at home and support my family now. But you… meet them!
You may be looking frightened to these lots making the holes in the border. May well be afraid of their arrival. But watch out! stare at them! They are heroes! they are humans. Meet them!
Con los refugiados en Lesbos 