Migrant Situation in Greece

A thought-provoking view of the Migrant Crisis in Greece

SIETAR EUROPA Journal June - August 2016

The following report was written for the ‘Migration and Interculturalism Forum’, held in Brussels at the end of May this year.

The author, a British expatriate living in the north of Greece, is a retired international banker and has been a member of SIETAR Europa since 2001.

We must first start with an overview of where Greece stands as this growing migrant crisis develops — and, believe me, it is developing fast into something much greater than we have seen so far. In this respect, Greece’s ineptitude is more than matched by that of Europe. The overview which I refer to is, of course, the six years of punishing austerity to which this country has been subjected. I won’t go into detail of that here — but it does form the background as to where Greeks stand on a further suffering which they are now expected to address — with very limited resources.

Modern Greece, formally in place since 1830, is largely a nation of immigrants itself — since the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, The First World War — and, especially, the forced expulsion of Greeks from Asia Minor in 1922. It has, incidentally, during those 186 years, been declared bankrupt six times [including this latest crisis, which is essentially a bankruptcy]. Add the Second World War, including three and a half years of enemy occupation — and a Civil War immediately following that [ basically late 1944 thru 1947 ] ....and more population movement during those catastrophic events — and you get an idea of the confused mind set created. It didn’t stop there as a Military Junta took over from 1967 to 1974 - before democracy returned ....with economic success ...which in turn led to Greece being seen as the ‘rich’ country of The Balkans ....leading to massive immigration from Albania ....about 1 million people between 1989 and 2004 [ of which some 300,000 have returned to Albania since the Greek Crisis began ]. There was further immigration by Greeks from the Black Sea regions of the USSR post 1991 — almost all of whom settled in Thessaloniki [ thus that city has a declared population of 1 million — but is commonly supposed to house 1.5 million ]. So, when one asks what effect the current refugee crisis has had on ‘Greeks’, there are a myriad of responses - from being very helpful, remembering their own — or their parents or grandparents — traverses or, alternatively, fear — or even innate racism. The initial reaction to the massive influx of refugees across the Aegean Sea from Turkey in 2015, to the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Kos in particular — some 1 million — was handled by the very new inexperienced Greek government by a general ‘wave through’ to other Balkan countries as none of the refugees wanted to stay here — particularly given our economic problems. In any case, they were assured that Germany and Sweden were keen to take them. .....and so it happened. It is only now that the escape route has been closed that the remnants [ officially just over 50,000 — but I believe double that ] are stuck in Greece — to the mortification of Greece and themselves. The ‘ half-cockEU deal with Turkey has temporarily reduced the new inflow to a trickle - but I believe that the numbers will jump dramatically if Turkey is unable to blackmail the EU into further concessions — and more money! To our north — at Idomeni just 50 kms from where I am writing this, there are reports that the FYROM authorities are squeezing refugees caught within their country back through gaps in the border fence to add to Greece’s problems. Just wait until illegal immigration from North Africa [ Libya, especially ] starts in earnest again - not only to Italy, but also to Crete .....have a look at a map to see how close Libya is to Crete ......after all, the Mediterranean at that point is called The Libyan Sea! 

Conditions in the refugee camps in Greece are appalling — and certainly not helped by the recent withdrawal of NGOs in protest at the ‘immoral’ EU deal with Turkey. This leaves the Greek authorities, woefully inexperienced and with very limited resources, in a real dilemma. I’ve seen it with my own eyes as a small refugee camp has just been set up in a disused Army Base some 4 kms from where we live. It is planned to hold 700 to 800 refugees — but has so far only received 100 to 200 as most of the refugees up at Idomeni refuse to move to any of the several camps opened recently across Northern Greece. This is because they are still hanging on to the hope that the border will re-open and they can proceed to their collective dream of acceptance in Germany.

Reports I have received from those who have visited Idomeni [ and I mean people who care and not the celebrities who want to be ‘seen’ there! ], talk of atrocious conditions — with a growing fear of the spread of disease [ TB and who knows what else ].

I haven’t been inside the Alexandria camp — and would certainly not be allowed to given the extensive presence of Army personnel and Police — but I pass by the main gate regularly and can see what’s happening. Basically, the base has been unoccupied for many years, all the windows of the barracks are broken [ and remain so ], the waist high weeds have at least been cleared — and there are two — if not three — large tents erected. Through a local friend who has heard from a senior police officer, I have learned that conditions inside the camp are deteriorating rapidly in that the refugees themselves are not lifting a finger to keep their living quarters clean - expecting, I am told, that everything will be done for them — or, possibly, in protest that they are located there in the first place. What the reality is, I can’t say. In terms of the local Greek  population — essentially a farming community — there is a combination of disinterest and some trepidation as the refugees are free to walk about outside the camp and to the periphery of the town[ population 15,000 ]. Our local priest has for several weeks now used his Sunday Morning sermon to plead for help from our villagers for food and clothing — and has complained in a recent sermon that he has not even received one offer of help. The reality is that most of the villagers are suffering themselves from the weight of the economic and political crisis .....and, as the saying goes ....believe that ‘ charity begins at home ‘. In reality, who is to fault them?

The current Greek Government is essentially a coalition of Radical Socialists, coupled with a small minority rightist anti-austerity party [ none of the Coalition has any previous governing experience ] — and has a parliamentary majority of 3 seats. They are totally concentrated on trying to steer clear of taking Eurozone/IMF forced further economic and financial reforms to parliament — whilst trying to get the Eurozone, in particular, to loosen the terms of last year’s 3rd Bailout Agreement & receive the first payment — due, originally, last September - and which, if not received by the beginning of July, will result in Greece defaulting on debt repayments to those creditors — and a new election — and, most likely a reversion to the Drachma. So the answer to your question about whether the Greek Government has done anything about cultural awareness either for the Greek people or the migrants, it’s a flat ‘NO’. The Government is so pre-occupied with the economic crisis - and political survival - that they are just hanging on for a miracle amid the fear of a failed state. That’s the reality!

In other words, without professional outside help, the situation for the remaining refugees — who could be here on a permanent basis — will become more dire quite rapidly. Our local camp experience is a case in point as the initial 100 or so refugees from Idomeni rioted on the first night and were forced to get on two buses — and immediately shipped down to Athens - to another overcrowded camp — the old Hellenikon Airport [ housing 10,000 in facilities for no more than 6,000] . Oh, and by the way, the Piraeus Sea Terminal which the Greek Government wanted to clear of 5,000 refugees there — in time for Greek Easter in order that Sea Cruise tourists could land as the season gets under way — are still left with 2,000 plus — again, refusing to move to other camps. Those who have left seem to be trying to head to Patras and Western Greek ports in an attempt to try and cross the sea to Italy — smugglers are reported to be charging 3000 - 3500 Euros a head!

The refugees who have come to Greece i.e. the 1 million last year — and the number who remain - are, in the majority Syrian — but intermingled with Iraqis and Afghans in the main — with some Iranians and Eritreans — very few from other parts of North or Sub-Saharan Africa. there should be a fair amount of fighting between the national groups — and, no doubt, between religious groups also. The Syrians certainly consist of many educated people — and quite a few still have money with them. There was a story from Idomeni up on the FYROM border that the two village kiosks [ periptero in Greek ] which would normally earn 500 euros each in a month in selling cigarettes — now earn 50,000 euros each!! Also, refugees themselves, upon receiving free donations of food, then go and sell them on the road outside Idomeni to uninformed new arrivals!

You asked what could or should be done, from a cultural awareness point of view, to ease any  tensions and make the experience better for all? I hope that my answer doesn’t sound flippant but .......it’s 

1] end the Syrian Civil War,

2] destroy ISIS,

3] get the EU to act together and formulate an immigration policy akin to that of post WW2,

4] Sort out Libya, 5] Galvanize North African and Sub-Saharan economies so that people stay at home and

6] be very committed to achieve goals 1] to 5]

 — and try to teach our world to be very inter-culturally sensitive ... In other words, there is a definite role for SIETAR worldwide to play .... and certainly in Europe