#AgathonisiShipwreck: The case file

Via Refugee Support Aegean On 16 March 2018, a refugee boat sank near the Greek island of Agathonisi. Sixteen persons perished and at least three are missing. The survivors and relatives’ testimonies along with text messages sent to the Greek coastguard point towards a significant delay from the side of the Greek authorities in launching a search and rescue operation.

>From the early days of the tragedy, Refugee Support Aegean provides legal and psychological support to the shipwreck survivors and relatives of those who lost their lives. In this detailed case file, you can see how this tragedy unfolded.

Read the full story here >>

Continue reading #AgathonisiShipwreck: The case file

Arabic signs removed in İstanbul district densely populated by Syrian refugees

Via Turkish Minute (from 29th June) – Officials from the Esenyurt Municipality in İstanbul on Friday removed signs in Arabic from district shops, in a neighborhood densely populated by Syrian refugees, in line with a recently adopted Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) rule that says the Turkish language should be a priority in signs.

The TSE announced in March that if shopkeepers want to use foreign languages, the type size of those words should be a quarter of the size of Turkish type.

Continue reading Arabic signs removed in İstanbul district densely populated by Syrian refugees

Ankara Officially Requests Exchange of Turkish Asylum Seekers for Greek Soldiers

Via Greek Reporter – Ankara has officially requested the extradition of the eight Turkish soldiers in the process of being granted asylum in Greece in exchange of a “fair trial” of the two Greek junior army officers detained in Turkey.

Greek newspaper Ta Nea has published a letter sent to President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani by the President of the Turkish Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ahmet Berat Conkar.

Continue reading Ankara Officially Requests Exchange of Turkish Asylum Seekers for Greek Soldiers

Syrian refugee women, girls, and people with disabilities in Turkey

Via Relief Web – Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees, almost half of whom are women and girls.

This rapid review looks at available evidence on how Syrian refugee women, girls, and people with disabilities have been affected by the response to the refugee crisis by a variety of actors, including the host government, international actors, and host communities. Refugees in Turkey face a number of challenges, with female refugees and refugees with disabilities facing additional gender and disability specific barriers. Poverty is a major issue for refugees, with nearly 67% living below the poverty line.

Continue reading Syrian refugee women, girls, and people with disabilities in Turkey

Number of Migrants, Refugees Trapped on Greek Islands Reaches New High

Via Greek Reporter – A total of 17,771 migrants and refugees are in reception and registration centers as well as other structures on the five Greek islands that host asylum seekers, new data show.

The new figures released by the Ministry of the Interior show that Lesvos is the island that is dealing with the majority of the migrant inflow, with 9,472 refugees and migrants in various places.

Continue reading Number of Migrants, Refugees Trapped on Greek Islands Reaches New High