“We call it ‘modernization’” – reception centers for migrants will be ‘closed’ facilities
During her recent visit to Greece, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson made assurances that new reception centers on the Aegean islands would not be closed facilities. However, the reconfiguration of existing camps on the mainland into closed facilities are progressing at a rapid pace − and the authorities involved are pointing fingers at each other.
His drawing traveled to Europe. But 12-year-old Jamal simply wants to “get out of this jail”.
“I don’t want anything from you. Nor am I happy that my drawing has traveled to another place, while I’m stuck in a prison”, says little Jamal from a detention center on Kos island.
Born on January 1st
An unpublished piece from earlier this year that attempts to explain a common and noticeable phenomenon that we often encounter in our coverage of refugees.
“We call it ‘modernization’” – reception centers for migrants will be ‘closed’ facilities
During her recent visit to Greece, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson made assurances that new reception centers on the Aegean islands would not be closed facilities. However, the reconfiguration of existing camps on the mainland into closed facilities are progressing at a rapid pace − and the authorities involved are pointing fingers at each other.
His drawing traveled to Europe. But 12-year-old Jamal simply wants to “get out of this jail”.
“I don’t want anything from you. Nor am I happy that my drawing has traveled to another place, while I’m stuck in a prison”, says little Jamal from a detention center on Kos island.
Born on January 1st
An unpublished piece from earlier this year that attempts to explain a common and noticeable phenomenon that we often encounter in our coverage of refugees.
The cost of agricultural produce in Portugal’s Alentejo region
Diana Takacsova’s photography stresses the role of the essential workers who are frequently trapped outside the formal system, juxtaposing it with the intensified land use and the inadequate living and labour conditions present in the Alentejo region.
Greek strawberries “made in Bangladesh”
Up to 10,000 migrant agricultural workers live in makeshift camps in the strawberry fields of Ilia, which produce the “red gold” that generates tens of millions of euros in exports. While the Greek state remains indifferent, the number of workers is expected to increase, as production is projected to skyrocket by 2025, covering approximately 6,200 acres.
A behind-the-scenes look at Greece’s “red gold” harvest
A photo essay by Thodoris Nikolaou
“We call it ‘modernization’” – reception centers for migrants will be ‘closed’ facilities
During her recent visit to Greece, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson made assurances that new reception centers on the Aegean islands would not be closed facilities. However, the reconfiguration of existing camps on the mainland into closed facilities are progressing at a rapid pace − and the authorities involved are pointing fingers at each other.
Mahmood in waiting
In 2016 Mahmood left Jalalabad, his hometown in Afghanistan, and embarked on a dangerous journey to Europe. After six months he made it to Greece. We meet him in a flat in the suburbs of Athens, which he shares with up to twelve other compatriots; struggling with the Greek asylum services; making a living on the streets; and strolling through the center of Athens. This is his story.
Born on January 1st
An unpublished piece from earlier this year that attempts to explain a common and noticeable phenomenon that we often encounter in our coverage of refugees.
COVID-19 impacts on poverty
The COVID-19 pandemic is making an already highly unequal world even more so.
“I have to lead people to a ‘safe place'”
Solomon travels to Karditsa for migrant workers and Covid-19 project.
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Apostolos Kapsalis: “We are travelling in uncharted and stormy seas”
We sat down for a long discussion with the researcher of the Institute of Labor for the phenomenon “Manolada”, the realities of migrant workers in Greece, and the challenges that the pandemic brought -and will bring- not only to the agricultural production, but the rights of the ones ensuring it.
Paul Schlag: “The improvement of the labor market integration can be a very long process”
We spoke with the German researcher Paul Ferdinand Slag on the occasion of the “An Abundance of Unleashed Potential” report on the access of refugees to the labor market.
Giorgos Tsiakalos: “In Europe, a racist policy is being implemented”
The Emeritus Professor of Pedagogy Giorgos Tsiakalos speaks to Solomon and analyzes in depth the racist policies of the European Union towards mobile populations.
The logbook of Moria
A logbook was found in the ashes of Europe’s most notorious refugee camp. Written by the workers that were there to protect the unaccompanied minors, but often felt incapable of doing so, its pages reveal the horrific reality that they endured. The logbook of Moria’s safe zone is an indisputable document of Europe’s failure to protect the most vulnerable group of asylum seekers that sought safety within its borders.
Snapshots from the days after the fire that burned Moria refugee camp
On September 9, massive fires destroyed Greece’s largest refugee camp leaving thousands of asylum seekers without shelter.
Labeled “immigrants”, two-thirds of Moria’s population actually have a refugee profile
The Greek government and major media outlets are presenting the victims of the fire at Moria camp as “immigrants”. However, according to our analysis, the majority will most likely be granted international protection.
“We are better off here, that place is like a prison”
The Greek government has been trying to relocate victims of the Moria fire to a new temporary shelter. Asylum seekers are reluctant to go there.
“The time-bomb exploded” at Greece’s largest refugee camp
Massive fires burned through Moria – repeated warnings had been made, and ignored, for years.
The logbook of Moria
A logbook was found in the ashes of Europe’s most notorious refugee camp. Written by the workers that were there to protect the unaccompanied minors, but often felt incapable of doing so, its pages reveal the horrific reality that they endured. The logbook of Moria’s safe zone is an indisputable document of Europe’s failure to protect the most vulnerable group of asylum seekers that sought safety within its borders.
Snapshots from the days after the fire that burned Moria refugee camp
On September 9, massive fires destroyed Greece’s largest refugee camp leaving thousands of asylum seekers without shelter.
Labeled “immigrants”, two-thirds of Moria’s population actually have a refugee profile
The Greek government and major media outlets are presenting the victims of the fire at Moria camp as “immigrants”. However, according to our analysis, the majority will most likely be granted international protection.
“We are better off here, that place is like a prison”
The Greek government has been trying to relocate victims of the Moria fire to a new temporary shelter. Asylum seekers are reluctant to go there.
“The time-bomb exploded” at Greece’s largest refugee camp
Massive fires burned through Moria – repeated warnings had been made, and ignored, for years.
Name: Unknown – Cause of death: Drowning
“I can’t, I’ve had a difficult time processing all this.” Since 2012, the registrar of Lesvos has been mainly registering the bodies of unidentified refugees.
How the Aegean islands became a warehouse of souls
It was four years ago, March 2016, when the EU-Turkey Joint Declaration to curb refugee flows was signed.
Police Violence: Concerning Treatment of Migrants and Reporters during Covid-19
A cross-border collaboration on the escalating trend of police violence against people on the move and media professionals.
Report “Modern Slavery: from production to consumption”
Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality & Diversity in the context of the project design and implementation, collaborated with Andreas Hatzidakis Professor of Marketing at Royal Holloway University of London, who is the scientific supervisor at the research and the researcher Iordanis Paraskevas, who undertook the implementation of the research and the writing of the report.
The night when “hell” burned down
Two months after the fire that destroyed Moria camp, the overcrowded refugee facility on the island of Lesvos, an asylum seeker who lived there, remembers the events of that night and what happened in the days that followed.
Bringing a refugee story to its true protagonists
When BFJE fellow Stavros Malichudis published his investigation into young unaccompanied male asylum seekers and refugees in Greece, he took it to the kind of people featured in the story to test their reaction.
The past, the present, and the future depicted in a drawing by young Saad from Syria
“Which government, which country, which policy, what person has the right to deprive Saad of his dreams?”
Testimonies of refugees and migrants in a time of pandemic
The digital narratives were created under the project “Narrating COVID-19: Testimonies from Refugees and Migrants in a Time of Pandemic”, which was implemented by the MSc “Global Health – Disaster Medicine” of School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), in order to highlight the humanitarian role of new technologies, which has been used as a tool of self-expression to capture the psychosocial effects of Covid-19 in vulnerable populations.
Domestic Workers in Greece
Migrants employed in the domestic work sector are essential workers in the COVID-19 response, due to the important roles they play in the care of children, sick, and dependent people.
Unaccompanied minors: Dis-continuum of protection
We discuss the realities of unaccompanied children on the move and attempt to address the varying experiences of children migrating – both positive and negative.
Grief and mourning among refugees
Mourning is an inevitable experience that occurs following the loss of loved ones. Going through the bereavement process in a host society, refugees are faced with different challenges, very often without even being able to practice their funeral rites and rituals. Nikos Gkionakis, experienced psychologist and Head of Babel Day Center, offering mental health services to refugees in Athens, is our guest for this session.
/ Publications
© Constantinos Stathias
/ Last in Line
A Publication about young male migrants and refugees
More than 75,000 asylum seekers arrived in Greece in 2019 alone, either by crossing the northern border with Turkey via the Evros River or by crossing the Aegean from Turkey on boats, hoping to land on one of the Greek islands.
About 40% of the asylum seekers are men.
© Iasonas Athanasiadis
/ Migrant workers
A Publication about migrant workers during COVID-19
Despite often being undocumented, without legal papers and off the radar, migrant workers are essential workers. Often lacking documentation, access to information and networks, migrant workers are uninsured, underpaid, and exposed to human rights abuses and labor law violations.
But, in big part, their realities in Greece still remain underreported.
WHY
WE
NEED
YOU
The media in Greece have lost their credibility and they are solely responsible for this. However, time has run out, and so have excuses. Media and journalism should communicate with other disciplines in search of common ways to include their communities.
We should make an effort to be more receptive and above all to include the very people we are (supposedly) writing about. Each side needs the other. And it shouldn’t be so difficult anymore, for us to question our ”expertise”. This can make things a lot more exciting.
At Solomon we are not interested in trying to be the ”experts” nor do we want to be vaguely ”objective”. We are interested in seeking and presenting the facts, and being able to share them, completely and transparently, with the people who care about realities. And, of course, doing so without serving any special interests or outside influences.
But we do not want our independence to be the reason why we are forced to work in a state of insecurity and exhaust all of our resources to be able to literally remain upright. On the contrary, we want our independence to be the reason why people view us as a trustworthy news source, and will support us in maintaining our dedication.
Iliana Papangeli, Managing Director
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