Undocumented for years, whilst trying to claim asylumThe fact that people seeking protection in Greece struggle to claim asylum due to systemic deficiencies in the asylum system is…Dec 20, 2020Dec 20, 2020
Imprisoned for protection — children in Greece are offered cells instead of the streetsIn Greece, the state system for lone minors seeking asylum is to put them into what is termed “protective custody”. Minors are detained…Nov 22, 2020Nov 22, 2020
A new mother’s story — pregnant, undocumented and alone in GreeceI met Mariam* when she was 39 weeks pregnant — in her early 20s, ten years younger than myself, she was alone in Athens. She had fled the…Sep 27, 2020Sep 27, 2020
What use is being recognised as a refugee, if you still cannot survive?When people are recognised as refugees in Greece they have their cashcards cut and face eviction from camp / NGO accommodation if they…Aug 7, 2020Aug 7, 2020
Amygdaleza is burning — photo report from a Greek immigration detention centreOn 17th February 2020, I received video messages of a fire raging. The fire had been started in protest at the poor conditions in…Feb 22, 2020Feb 22, 2020
What use are laws when there are no lawyers? A mother’s storyI met Zahra* at Oinofyta camp in November 2018. Headscarf loosely tied and wearing sandals in the winter cold, she told me she was from…Jan 26, 2020Jan 26, 2020
Healthcare and education systematically denied to those seeking safety in GreeceIn Greece at present, people seeking asylum are not allowed to access pubic healthcare. In July this year when the centre-right New…Dec 19, 2019Dec 19, 2019
Isolated and unsafe — Corinth Refugee CampLast weekend I visited Corinth refugee camp. Around 100 kilometres from Athens and down a small country road, the huge marquee style tents…Oct 27, 20191Oct 27, 20191
The Complicated Quest to Claim AsylumIt’s a little known fact that refugees who reach mainland Greece can only claim asylum by using the online telecommunication application…Jan 13, 2019Jan 13, 2019
Lack of Lawyers, Broken Toilets and Bouncing EmailsToday I accompanied a family to Piraeus, the asylum office in Athens for people from Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We had a six hour wait…Jan 8, 2019Jan 8, 2019
