Imagine being told you must flee for your life, leaving behind everything you’ve worked for-everything you’ve known. Only taking the clothes on your back, you must flee to another country and seek shelter from a tyrannical government and militant extremist group. Since 2011, over 11 million Syrian citizens-now refugees-have experienced this traumatic change. Some forced to leave in the dead of night, others running for their lives amidst the deafening roar of destruction and screams of the innocent. These are the stories of those who have been been forcibly displaced and await a permanent home.
Greece is merely one of many complicated pieces of a puzzle in constant motion that is the global refugee crisis. Not only has Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian state remained a danger to Syrian citizens, but terrorist Islamic group ISIS is ever expanding their territory, conquering new parts of neighboring countries every day. Countries like Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey and a handful others have seen vast numbers of people fleeing to Europe increase month by month. Furthermore, Europe's economic and social state is ill-equipped to respond to the cry of so many millions forcibly removed from their homes.
Even though countries within the European Union grant thousands of refugees asylum on an annual basis, Greece is still at the forefront of refugee displacement. Countries including Poland, Austria, Hungary, and more have protested policies regarding refugees that the EU has forcibly implemented on religious grounds, political grounds, or they simply cannot afford to accept them. In response, the EU has imposed trade sanctions on countries who have refused to accept refugees. Other countries who have agreed to take in refugees are forced to grant asylum to thousands more. Simply put, Europe is in a state of organized chaos while hundreds of thousands of Syrian, Pakistani, Iraqi, and Turkish refugees eagerly await being able to leave the camp in which they live in search for a new home.
Many refugees hope to be sent to another country in Europe, specifically Germany due to the amount of monthly financial aid given. This shipping bin, in the backyard of temporary housing for refugees in Greece, bears the sentiment, "See you in transit to Europe" in Arabic.
The refugee crisis is daunting. With literally millions of displaced people, it is easy to overlook individuals. The term refugee does not define them. They are fathers, mothers, daughters, sons. Here are a few of their stories.
Father
Meet Juan. Originally from Al-Hasakah, Juan now resides in Northern Greece with his wife and four young children. At 26 years old, Juan used to work as a carpenter until in a tragic accident he fell from the 4th floor of a building and damaged his back. Later on, Juan became a soldier for the Syrian army. After seeing the growing danger and conflict within Syria, Juan deserted the army and fled with his family to Turkey. Although out of Syria, Juan and his family were not out of danger yet. “Turkey was also not safe for me. I couldn’t get immigration status in Turkey because of my situation, so I fled to Greece.” Although Juan is grateful for the hospitality he has received from some Greeks, he is not comfortable with the uncontrollable situation like thousands of other refugees. “They welcomed us. But I would like to leave Greece because they can barely feed their own people, so how can we expect them to feed us?” Juan continues, “I don’t think after 2 or 3 years I can live this way. I would like to find a better place for my children.” Juan’s hopes for the future are similar to many parents. “I want hope for my kids’ future. I hoped when I came to Greece, they would help me and help my kids.” When asked the question, “If you could use one word to describe who you are, what would it be?” Juan wrote ‘Father of many children’.
Mother
Meet Jihan. She, her husband Mohammad, and their daughter Avin are currently in Northern Greece waiting to hear if they will be granted asylum in Germany. Her three sons have already been displaced to Germany where they are attempting to live regular lives. Jihan is very thankful for how the local evangelical church has looked after her and her family, but is continuously growing anxious due to the slow processing of their papers and no word from the Greek government. She also worries dearly for her family, who remains in Syria, trying to avoid being hurt or killed from bombings occurring on a daily basis. Jihan worries especially about her grandmother, who is ill, deaf, and nearly blind. Her grandmother has seen a lot of her family members leave because of the situation and now she feels alone, "It was not easy for us to make this decision to leave Syria.” Describing the urgency of fleeing danger, Jihan answers with one selfless statement: “We had to leave for the sake of our children.” Her family’s journey was extremely dangerous in light of the vast numbers of people fleeing the area. “We fled from under the shelling and the bombs to Turkey, and from Turkey to Greece via rafts. Thousands of humans lost their lives trying to make the same journey, they sank deep in the water.” Jihan and her family are so thankful for the kindness that the evangelical church and NGO’s have shown towards them. “The people of Greece, the Germans, the Americans and the Dutch, all these people have been merciful and generous. They look upon us with mercy and humanity. They consider us as fellow humans, that we have rights in this world.” When asked what one phrase would describe her, Jihan wrote ‘Mother of Sharbarfan’.
Beautician
Meet Avin. Born in Syria, she is only one of Jihan’s children still in Greece with her parents, who are all awaiting to see the rest of their family. Avin is now 14 and she loves to listen to music. Her favorite thing to play is foosball and her favorite food is pizza. She is currently taking English classes while in Greece with her parents. When asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Avin responded by saying she wanted to be a makeup artist, so she wrote ‘beautician’.
Family
Meet Khalid. Originally from the city of Qamishli, Khalid now resides in Northern Greece with three of his five children, Hevi, Heliz, and Hemi. Now 46 years old, Khalid has worked as barber in Syria and Turkey. When the Ghuraba al-Sham militia (a band of people primarily consisting of Turkish extremist jihadists) entered his city in 2012, he fled to Turkey with his wife and children. “We stayed there for 5 years. Then my wife and son travelled to Germany and my daughter. My three daughters and I left to Germany by sea. The first time we left we were at sea for 5 hours and we were about to sink. But thank God, we didn’t sink." Khalid and his three daughters are anxious to be reunited with the rest of their family, who still reside in Germany. Khalid hasn’t seen his wife and other children for two years. Since his initial displacement, he has seen many people leave Greece and be successfully granted asylum in other parts of Europe, while he is forced to wait even though his papers have been completed and stamped. Because of this, Khalid’s hope has become almost non-existent. “I don’t trust anyone or any country because I was stuck at the border for 10 days. I saw people leaving for Germany and I am still stuck here and now the borders are closed. All that we were promised was a lie.” Although Khalid’s justified frustration with the system is apparent, it is mainly fueled by the worry and love for his three daughters also in Greece with him. “I just hope a better future for my children. It’s been 6 years since they have been to school and I don’t want them to have no future. In Syria they were good students, they were bright, my eldest daughter and my middle daughter. The oldest was in grade 8 and she would be in university now.” Khalid and his three daughters are being taught Greek and English. His daughters also know German and French. In addition to being granted asylum in Germany, Khalid’s hopes for the future are also for peace. “A whole generation was lost in Syria, I just hope there will be peace in the future." When asked the question, “If you could use one word to describe who you are, what would it be?” Khalid did something special. He drew a picture depicting his love and pride for his family, who define who he is.
Designer
Meet Hevi. Born in Syria, she is the second-oldest daughter of Khalid. She is 14 years old. Hevi’s favorite game to play is basketball. She currently speaks Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, and is continuing to learn English. Hevi’s favorite food is pizza, and she and her younger sisters are currently learning to cook new meals to help provide for their father, since they have not seen their mother in two years. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Hevi responded by saying she wanted design clothes, so she wrote ‘designer.’
Painter
Meet Hemi. Born in Syria, she is the second-youngest daughter of Khalid, and is 10 years old. Her favorite game to play is football (soccer). Hemi currently speaks Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, German, and is learning Greek and English. Her favorite food is pizza, and she and her sisters are currently learning to cook new meals to help provide for their father, since they have not seen their mother in two years. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Hemi responded by saying she wanted make art and design, so she wrote ‘painter.’
Barber
Meet Helez. Born in Syria, she is the youngest daughter of Khalid, and is nine years old. Her favorite game to play is football (soccer). Helez already speaks German, French, and Arabic, and is continuing to learn English and Greek. Her favorite foods are pizza and macaroni. She and her sisters are currently learning to cook new meals to help provide for their father, since they have not seen their mother in two years. When asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Helez responded by saying she wanted to cut hair, so she wrote ‘barber’.
Lawyer
Meet *****. Her name and specific location cannot be shared, due to the fact that her abusive husband is still searching for her and her son. ***** was raised in a financially fortunate household, and was working in Syria as a wealthy lawyer, specifically in criminal law. When describing the situation after the war in Syria began, ***** states, “Day by day, I lost my work. Then, I lost my house (due to bombings).” In 2013, ***** fled to Turkey with her children and stayed there for three and a half years, while her husband went to Germany. She didn’t know he had another wife and children residing there. When elaborating on her husband, ***** remarks, “My husband is very bad. He didn’t send money, he didn’t ask what his son need, so it’s better to make divorce with him.” When ***** talked with her husband about this, he started shouting and sending voice recordings of death threats towards her and her son. ***** elaborates about leaving Turkey by saying, “It’s like mafia, I cannot get protection. I was all the time afraid...” When talking about her son, ***** remarks, “He was so scared. Til now he cannot sleep.” When asked what her hopes and dreams are for the future, ***** remarks, “Of course I have hopes and dreams for the future, but not for me, for my child…” ***** hopes to find a good job in order to make her son feel and live better, once she is displaced. Asked the question, “If you could use one word to describe who you are, what would it be?” ***** wrote ‘Lawyer’.
Pilot
Meet *****. His name and specific location cannot be known because his abusive father is searching for him and his mother. He is currently eight years old. When his mother fled Syria when he was around five years old. His father, who had abandoned his wife and children and fled to Germany, returned briefly to convince his mother that ***** needed to come with his father. His mother submitted and allowed ***** to be brought to Europe with his father after a while. A few days later, his father abandoned him 30 hours away from where they were staying in the hands of a child trafficker. His mother was notified of his location via phone call and immediately trekked the distance to rescue her son. Miraculously, she found ***** and brought him back. Although he was physically unharmed, emotional damage was evident. After this, they quickly fled to Greece in fear for their lives. Although it has been two years since this incident, ***** still does not trust anyone. Always afraid, these traumatic experiences have left ***** mentally scarred in ways most cannot comprehend. However, there are still many things that he enjoys doing. ***** loves the video game Minecraft so much, that his face lights up any time the game is mentioned within earshot. His favorite food is meat and potatoes, and ***** is currently learning to speak English and Greek. When asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” ***** responded by saying he wanted to fly planes, so he wrote ‘pilot’.
These stories not only provide a sliver of insight on the current refugee situation, but attempts to provide dignity for those only identified by forms, statistics, and policies. Because of this, it is common for families to be separated during the sporadic and slow process of relocation. Reunification is chief among the hopes for the future for all family members who have been separated from their loved ones.
Most families that remain in refugee camps have no choice but to asylum in Greece. However, they are unaware of this fact. Because of the overwhelming numbers of refugees already displaced throughout Europe, most countries cannot take more refugees. This, in turn, means thousands of families will never be reunited with their loved ones who have already been granted asylum in other countries. Instead, they are forced to wait for months in anxious anticipation in a crowded slum-like camp.
In Greece, many camps provide inadequate and unsafe housing for many refugees, most of which consist of tents and tarps for thousands to sleep under. In Northern Greece, the city of Veria has a refugee camp with arguably the best conditions in the country. Camp Veria is located in old Greek military barracks. Refugees are housed in larger buildings with 10-20 rooms each. Although this is not perfect, the conditions are far better than most other camps in the country.
Aid Worker
Meet Sara. Sara and her nonprofit, Bridge2, volunteer in Camp Veria by providing refugees with access to food, clothing, bedding, and even toys for children of all ages.Camp Veria is home to multiple NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), as well as a few higher-ranking members of the Greek military. Many of the refugees who come to Camp Veria have had to reside in other less suitable camps. When checking on refugees on a regular basis, Sara has been told what most have had to live through. These harrowing stories of these individuals’ and families’ journey to safety provide perspective for what millions have now had to suffer through. One of Sara’s accounts is especially chilling. “The other camp I worked on just up the road, there was a girl whose foot was crooked on the end of her leg. And I said to her, ‘You’ve damaged your foot,’ and she said, ‘Yes, Broken. Boat.’ So, I said, ‘Why? What happened?” Sara continues by saying, “She said she was in the boat and she had four layers of people on top of her. She was at the bottom. So, the journey from the Turkish mainland to the island (Lesvos) involved her in a boat, along with other people, crushed with four layers of humans on top of her. It broke her wrist and it broke her leg in two places. She never went to the hospital to have her leg set. She had to walk.” Sara continues, “And yet, she would come every day and ask me for a football to play with. Sometimes she would come and say her wrist was hurting, so I gave her a support strap. And, she would look at me as if I’d given her an iPhone.” This child is just one example of the price many have had to pay in order to free themselves from violence and oppression. For most, this sadly does not always stop when they reach Greece. Sara continues by describing the frighteningly common condition many refugee camps are in today. “They’ve had to endure living with rats, it’s not safe, they are in tents, and just really bad conditions.” Sara continues, “Some of the people within the camp have been tortured.” Many refugees in Camp Veria struggle with mental and physical problems due to violent abuse experienced along the way to Greece. At one point, only two psychologists could be afforded for a short period of time, and they were spread thin, having to manage six camps. Now there are none. Currently in Camp Veria, there are 17 recognized cases of those with various forms of psychological damage. Sara and her volunteers verify that this number could easily be tripled if reassessed. Some are suicidal, some struggle with PTSD. One woman struggles with wanting to kill herself daily, another woman refuses to eat as a result of the stress of one of her children being granted asylum in Germany, but she has three young children who remain in Syria. Sara and many other volunteers desperately require assistance through bringing in medically trained staff, yet the EU still has not provided it. When observing certain moves the EU and Greek government have made, Sara fears the worst for refugees housed in camps across the country. As of July, the EU had dramatically cut funding for NGOs to aid refugees. The Ministry of Migration in Greece is providing jobs for people to care for refugees, offering 430 Euros each month. On average, this amount is less than most refugee families receive in welfare, receiving 150 Euros per adult and 50 Euros per child, per month. Because of this low salary, Sara fears that those who are hired will be completely unqualified to help those in physical/mental stress. Within Camp Veria, Sara states that there will likely be 37 individuals employed by the Greek government to take over daily operations of the camp, while all NGOs will be given the boot. “I fear for what’s going to happen.”
For the Greek government to pursue this plan seems counterintuitive when looking at the numbers. NGOs bring in tens of millions into circulation of the Greek government. For example, the NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council) has invested 14.7 million U.S. Dollars to help with camps in Northern Greece alone. In turn, this money is circulates directly into Greece’s economy, through infrastructure and commerce. No matter the timetable, when NGOs can no longer operate within refugee camps, it could be a disaster on multiple levels.
Sensitive
Meet Maria. Born in Northern Greece, Maria has a background in Greek literature. In Thessaloniki, she began to volunteer in aiding refugees through different nonprofit programs. Maria specifically helped distribute medicine and teach Greek. Since February, her primary focus has been teaching Syrian children and adult refugees Greek and English. When describing why she decided to devote much of her time to help refugees, Maria simply stated, “I said yes because I like to help people”. Maria has grown so fond of the refugees she teaches daily- adults and children alike. Maria’s loving spirit and tender character make her a wonderful teacher who invests in the lives of so many. Maria describes her hopes for the future by saying, “I want to work as a school teacher one day.” Although her hopes are within her reach, Maria is wary because of the economic situation that remains a problem in Greece, “But I believe that if you want something, you can manage it. So, I will manage this.” Maria would also love to get her Masters in Greek literature, and work part time as a flight attendant. Currently, she is studying for her exams in order to apply. “If you could describe in one word your attitude towards refugees, what would it be?” Maria answered by saying that she is full of love for refugees and sensitive to their needs and their stories. Thus, she wrote ‘sensitive’.
Dedicated
Meet Elena. Originally born and raised in Cyprus, she has now been living in Northern Greece for 23 years. She is a Christian, and she and her small evangelical church have been aiding refugees since the start of their migration to Greece seven years ago. “Our church was in charge of gathering wash items and clothes and sending them to Athens.” Soon after, refugees began being sent to various refugee camps near Elena’s residence. She and others from her church began to prepare food/supplies and deliver it to nearby camps on a weekly basis. “Every Tuesday we were preparing it (Food, wash items, etc.), the whole church was involved.” Within one camp, a storage container donated by a German Evangelical church was used as a kitchen where Elena and her church prepared and distributed 3,000 to 4,000 meals per day. When borders started closing and traveling to different camps in neighboring countries became much harder, Elena and her church eventually began housing a handful of refugee families in order to keep them safe. Their first group of refugee families consisted of 20 adults and children, who have all now been granted asylum in other European countries. Currently, Elena’s evangelical church is building an apartment complex in order to house as many refugee families as possible. When explaining why she decided to help aid refugees, Elena remarked, “It’s not about politics, I had been a refugee when I was two years old. The Turks came and invaded my island (Cyprus), so we had to leave our place. So, I know first-hand how difficult it was for my grandparents and my parents to leave their life and start all over again.”. “If you could describe in one word your attitude towards refugees, what would it be?” Elena answered by saying she has become more dedicated to helping those in need, so she wrote ‘Dedication’.
Kind
Meet Paisios, or 'Papi' as he prefers to go by. Husband to Elena, Papi serves as an elder of his evangelical church and actively helps aid refugees. Papi's great grandparents founded the church he serves at in 1923. Funny enough, his great grandparents were also refugees, who migrated from Asia Minor and Turkey to Northern Greece. Papi served alongside his wife and other church members to help aid refugees as far back as seven years ago when things began to chaotically escalate within the Syrian government. Papi, Elena, and the other church members are just a few examples of how some Greek citizens have risen to the call of those in need, all providing what they can. Another church elder owns a fruit company, so every week he donates crates full of peaches, apricots, plums, and other various fruits to distribute among nearby refugee camps. In addition, other church members are helping build an apartment complex which will house refugee families. "If you could describe in one word your attitude towards refugees, what would it be?" Paisios answered by saying his simple act of kindness through various actions impacts refugees in a way that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Thus, he wrote 'Kindness'.
Throughout history, there have been incalculable numbers of people groups who have been forced to leave their homes in search of another. The mass exodus of Syrians, Pakistanis, Iraqis, and others seeking refuge in Europe is just one minute example when examining the broad scope of history. Too often, many redefine the word refugee. Traditionally, the word means “a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.” Today, many change this word to associate it with one’s socio-economic background, gender, and especially religion. When many hear the word refugee they immediately think of a Muslim. From there, they often adopt a polarizing viewpoint. Whether yelling, “Let them in!” or “Keep them out!” The term refugee in 2017 has become so diluted with biased politics and partisan slander that it has further separated us from our moral sense of justice, duty, and compassion. As humans, what must be our response regardless of the decisions of the state? This question holds no simple answer, but it is one we must hold close to our minds and hearts for the benefit of millions of Syrians, Pakistanis, Iraqis, and other fellow humans calling out to us for aid.