Vain hopes for a brighter future

by **Adriana** » 14 Jun 2007, 16:19

See Latest News button.

by **maziemoo** » 14 Jun 2007, 16:25

They sure do like to keep you guessing Adriana re your shipping links :?:

!!

Mind you we have the same problem in the UK with trains and buses though I guess at least we have more options to choose from.

by **Richard** » 14 Jun 2007, 16:35

How do we do it from here? Suggestions? Contributions?

by **Adriana** » 15 Jun 2007, 11:54

The police station's phone number is +30 22460 71111.

Groups of refugees have been picked up from a number of places around the island including Agios Vassilis and Agios Emilianos but the ones in the photos were found at Faneroumeni. Symi police station is struggling to cope with processing so many people in one go as they all have to be medically examined and documented before they can be transferred to the centre in Rhodes.

According to a friend who is helping as interpreter it seems as though there were about 200 dropped off at Faneroumeni in a ferry from Turkey - after being told that they were in Athens, of course.

by **maziemoo** » 15 Jun 2007, 13:43

I feel so sorry for these people...I really wish I was on Symi at the moment to offer some help.

God bless everyone on the island who comes to their aid and of course God bless the refugees too....I can't begin to imagine how desperate and abandoned they must be feeling.

by **Kojak** » 15 Jun 2007, 14:12

It's a desperate situation, but given that this isn't a new problem, wouldn't you think that the Greek government would provide more coastal patrols in this area instead of leaving it to the few resources that Symi has?

by **Adriana** » 18 Jun 2007, 15:39

There have been instances where the Greek coast guard has turned the boats back but the Turkish coast guard has then denied them reentry into Turkey. In desperation they then scuttle the boat which often results in loss of life.

by **SamanthaF** » 21 Jun 2007, 20:23

I think that the pictures are inappropriate and degrading to the subjects. Have you their permission to show the pictures on the world wide web?
Bad Form Symi Visitor. This minister is not a happy bunny.

by **Kojak** » 21 Jun 2007, 22:04

Hmmm Samantha - you haven't been reading the - chat page have you? You appear to be in the minority and you've got the wrong end of the stick altogether. These unfortunate people have been landed on a small island which has no facilities to deal with them. The pictures aren't degrading; the fact that they are in cramped conditions and have to rely on tavernas and restaurants for food is degrading; the fact that central government provides little or nothing for them at the point of arrival is degrading. If you are so concerned about the plight of these people Samantha, I suggest you lobby the Greek government instead of wielding a big stick at the Visitor which is only drawing attention to a situation which will be repeated again and again unless something is done centrally. would you prefer that nothing was reported and no attention was drawn to these unfortunate refugees?

by **Adriana** » 22 Jun 2007, 07:48

Just to set the record straight once and for all, Symi police station called the Symi Visitor office and asked us to come round to take the photographs. The photographs were taken at the request and with the knowledge of the police chief and all the officials involved and the appeal for donations and assistance was put up at their request.

The photographs highlight the plight of these people and remind us that refugees are not just words on a printed page, they are human beings like the rest of us.

by **maziemoo** » 22 Jun 2007, 18:26

I have to agree with you Kojak.

My immediate thoughts on seeing the photographs were that it would be a very difficult situation for Symi to deal with because as you rightly say they don't have the facilities to be able to deal with such high numbers even though as I have observed during my stays, the islanders are very generous in their hospitality and I'm sure were more than willing to do what they could to try and ease the burden of the refugees.

Yet again it seems government officials are slow to take responsibility, sadly not so unusual in this day and age on a global scale. The sad things is that even their own government prefer to turn a blind eye, I guess thinking as long as these poor unfortunate folk are sitting in someone else's back yard, they wont have to get of their lazy a***s and do something :twisted:

I just felt so sorry for them, they thought they were off to a bright new future, to make a new life for themselves, but as wonderful as my beloved Symi is, it's not where they would be able to do that and certainly not in such huge numbers.

by **Adriana** » 23 Jun 2007, 11:26

In the winter months places like the Opera House hotel put up the women, children and old people while the men live in the police station. One year the Symi ferry was also used as a billet when it was alongside the Pedi quay for maintenance.

I suppose central government thinking is that the minute they provide proper accommodation and facilities on Symi they are acknowledging that the situation actually exists...

Mind you, they'd also be acknowledging that Symi actually exists, something that the Symi town hall has been trying to remind central government this week. :evil:

by **maziemoo** » 23 Jun 2007, 15:54

Kind of smacks of out of sight, out of mind doesn't it? :twisted:

by **Adriana** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:05

Yes, it does rather.

It is something that the municipality, the local police and the doctors have been requesting assistance with for at least the past 10 years - so it can't be laid at the door of any one particular political party either. :evil:

Just found this on the Beeb today...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6231126.stm

by **Dave Ansell** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:50

I've been following this story both here and on the - page and I have to say that I agree with Samantha. The least that could have been done is to obscure the faces of the refugees. Won't you consider doing this, Adriana? It can't do any harm and would go a long way to silencing the critics.

by **Adriana** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:59

Thank you for your posting, Dave.

Have a look at the link I have just put up.

Enough said.

by **Dave Ansell** » 23 Jun 2007, 17:21

Yes, I read the BBC News article. It's a very sad state of affairs and all too common. I don't think anyone is against bringing attention to the plight of people like these, or the needs of small islands like Symi to be given help to manage the problem, but there are many ways that this can be acheived. What I and others are trying to point out is that the ability of the photographs you have put up to acheive what you hope them to acheive would not suffer by having the faces made unidentifiable. In fact, I believe it would only strengthen that ability.

by **Adriana** » 23 Jun 2007, 17:45

The faces in the BBC photograph are considerably clearer than in any of the photographs Nikos Halkitis took under police supervision.

by **Dave Ansell** » 23 Jun 2007, 18:00

I am sorry Adriana, but that is very clearly not the case. The BBC photograph contains only one face that is anything more than a blur, whereas the ones Nikos Halkitis took are far, far clearer and in much greater number.

by **Adriana** » 23 Jun 2007, 18:17

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6746013.stm br /
http://www.unhcr.org/partners/PARTNERS/4492c4e92.html

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