After the refugees were removed from the area surrounding the border, the public lost interest as well, with minor media reporting of the situation on the ground. Nevertheless, we keep on trying to get media coverage, share what we are witnessing, as well as the information we receive from the refugees who are now locked in camps.
Around 200 people still live in the area around Edirne, some staying in hotels, others in abandoned buildings or forests. Our local team still supports them with food and other essential items, all funded by your donations.
We recently launched a COVID-19 support project in Istanbul, providing food baskets to 70 families, which should last them for around one month. The people supplied were mainly citizens from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, with some of them residing in Pazarkule last month. The reason for this project, which is arguably different from the support we were initially providing, was to support all the refugees that have lost their jobs or those who are unable to find new jobs, after being forced to leave the border due to the pandemic. They now lack the financial means to support themselves In addition to this, we have mainly selected families with family members in the higher risk categories in order to allow them to stay inside, as we provide them with door to door delivery so they do not have risk infection whilst purchasing groceries. A more detailed update on this project will follow in the next few days.
Furthermore, we are still in touch with people inside the camps and receive regular updates on the situation. We know that they have been forced to sign documents, on which they have been forced to declare that no force or violence was used against them. We know that they are being told that after the 14 days of quarantine, they will be free to return to any place in Turkey, their home countries or to the European border.
Although Turkey has lied to them several times in the past, and despite the fact that Greece has made it abundantly clear that the border will not be opened, people are still clinging to the only hope of somehow being able to make it to Europe at any given point and believe this rumour to be true. Many are preparing to head back to the border as soon as the two week quarantine period is over.
Other rumours on the ground state that the UN will be providing tents this time, and that if the refugees stay at the border for long enough, the UN will resettle them into Europe
None of this is true, but it’s the only hope the people have left.
We are still preparing for another escalation at the Turkish-Greek border by the end of the week and will keep you updated with any movements.
After the refugees were removed from the area surrounding the border, the public lost interest as well, with minor media reporting of the situation on the ground. Nevertheless, we keep on trying to get media coverage, share what we are witnessing, as well as the information we receive from the refugees who are now locked in camps.
Around 200 people still live in the area around Edirne, some staying in hotels, others in abandoned buildings or forests. Our local team still supports them with food and other essential items, all funded by your donations.
We recently launched a COVID-19 support project in Istanbul, providing food baskets to 70 families, which should last them for around one month. The people supplied were mainly citizens from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, with some of them residing in Pazarkule last month. The reason for this project, which is arguably different from the support we were initially providing, was to support all the refugees that have lost their jobs or those who are unable to find new jobs, after being forced to leave the border due to the pandemic. They now lack the financial means to support themselves In addition to this, we have mainly selected families with family members in the higher risk categories in order to allow them to stay inside, as we provide them with door to door delivery so they do not have risk infection whilst purchasing groceries. A more detailed update on this project will follow in the next few days.
Furthermore, we are still in touch with people inside the camps and receive regular updates on the situation. We know that they have been forced to sign documents, on which they have been forced to declare that no force or violence was used against them. We know that they are being told that after the 14 days of quarantine, they will be free to return to any place in Turkey, their home countries or to the European border.
Although Turkey has lied to them several times in the past, and despite the fact that Greece has made it abundantly clear that the border will not be opened, people are still clinging to the only hope of somehow being able to make it to Europe at any given point and believe this rumour to be true. Many are preparing to head back to the border as soon as the two week quarantine period is over.
Other rumours on the ground state that the UN will be providing tents this time, and that if the refugees stay at the border for long enough, the UN will resettle them into Europe
None of this is true, but it’s the only hope the people have left.
We are still preparing for another escalation at the Turkish-Greek border by the end of the week and will keep you updated with any movements.
