Migration

06 / 12 / 2022

They once experienced war in their home country. Bosnians are now helping those who get stuck along the Balkan route.

Azra has made her home a hub for those in need, and Asim has devoted himself to supporting migrant people. In a country still dealing with its own scars, many Bosnian people are showing solidarity to those escaping today’s wars and hardship.

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06 / 12 / 2022

“Somewhere, a mother is crying for them”

The memories of the Bosnian war from the ‘90s are still vivid and many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina remember what it means to flee your home and leave it all behind. Today, war traumas influence Bosnians’ compassion for the migrants who attempt to reach Europe.

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18 / 11 / 2022

Exclusive: UN Letter Documents Greek Pushback of Turkish Asylum Seekers

In March, eight Turks reached Greece by boat, fearing persecution in their homeland. The UN urged Greece to provide protection, but instead the men were pushed back to sea and into the arms of the Turkish police.

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15 / 07 / 2022

Dark Waters of the Aegean: 1,018 illegal pushbacks carried out by the Greek state

It has become a common practice for Greek authorities to abandon asylum seekers at sea, which has resulted in injuries and drownings. An interactive map reveals the recurring crime committed across the Aegean Sea. The Greek government must explain how abducting people in need and abandoning them in life rafts is linked to international law and European values.

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06 / 07 / 2022

No closer to heaven — transgender asylum-seekers in Greece

For many transgender asylum-seekers, their arrival in Greece only drags them deeper into misery.

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21 / 06 / 2022

Facing 10 years in prison for an act of desperation

A year and a half ago, a young pregnant woman from Afghanistan, living at the Mavrovouni camp on Lesvos, attempted suicide by setting fire to her tent. On June 22, 2022, she stands trial, accused of arson with intent.

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19 / 04 / 2022

European Court decision finds 2016 collective pushbacks “lawful”

On April 5, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a negative judgement on claims regarding the alleged pushback of approximately 1,500 asylum seekers into Greece via North Macedonia in 2016. ECHR acknowledged their violent persecution, but believed the applicants could have applied for asylum by other legal means ― although there weren’t any.

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22 / 03 / 2022

Ukraine war: the “real” refugees and the lies of the Greek government

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Greek government ministers and MPs have spread false claims about refugees and international law. While experts, the UNHCR, and EU data refute their claims and more allegations are reported regarding Greece’s illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers.

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22 / 03 / 2022

UNHCR responds to Solomon over Mitarachi’s definition of “real” refugees

Greek minister of Migration Notis Mitarachi invokes international law to distinguish "real" from "non-real" refugees. The UNHCR's response to Solomon refutes his allegations.

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10 / 03 / 2022

Masafarhána: Inside the invisible refugee houses in Athens

In Athens, refugees pay to live in small apartments which accommodate up to 22 people. They often fall victim to exploitation by their compatriots. But sometimes the masafarhánas offer them the forgotten feeling of home.

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28 / 01 / 2022

Unaccompanied minors: The fear of adulthood

Like most teenagers in Europe, they should be waiting for their 18th birthday with excitement and impatience. But for the thousands of asylum seekers who are unaccompanied minors, the day they turn 18 – when they go from being minors in need of protection to being regarded as "men" and even "foreigners" – is a day accompanied by anxiety about what tomorrow might bring and by the fear of deportation.

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20 / 12 / 2021

Greece’s vaccination policy for the undocumented: Confused

An interview with data journalist Eva Constantaras on Lighthouse Reports’ recent cross-border investigation on Europe’s policies to vaccinate its undocumented population

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