The Guardian on unlawful deportation from Turkey to Syria

Via The Guardian [16.10.2018]With tension mounting in Idlib, people trying to flee across the border are being given the choice of detention or waiving their right to asylum

The Syrian town of Atimha, at the border wall between Turkey and Syria.
The Syrian town of Atimha, at the border wall between Turkey and Syria. Photograph: Osman Orsal/Reuters

Tareq* can recall in detail each of the 22 times he climbed over the concrete border wall, dodged a flurry of bullets, and sprinted as fast as he could – until Turkish border guards caught him and turned him back.

*Names have been changed to protect identities


This reportage was published by The Guardian

Syrian refugees in Turkey and the changing concept of Turkish citizenship

Via Middle East Monitor – Granting citizenship to Syrians in Turkey is a topic of discussion today more than ever before. So far, more than 50,000 Syrians have acquired Turkish citizenship. This has ignited debates among the Turkish public, primarily due to the provocative media coverage of the topic and increasing nationalism in Turkey.

This opinion piece was published by Middle East Monitor

#Moria35 finally free from prison

The Legal Center Lesvos reports that the remaining persons of the #Moria35 were finally released after 15 month of injust imprisonment.

If you want to learn more about the case of the #Moria35, the Legal Center Lesvos in cooperation with Joinda Production produced a short documentary about it: http://www.legalcentrelesbos.org/

Short Film ‘Silent Message’ – on the life for refugees in Lesvos

Photographer and filmmaker Ali arrived in Lesvos one night in spring 2018 and has since then been living in Moria refugee camp. Currently, Moria is ‘hosting’ triple its capacities with more than 7.000 women, men and children trapped in inhumane and life-threatening conditions. Many are sleeping rough, with not enough tents and blankets for everyone. Winter is approaching fast and there is no solution and relief to be expected!

Ali produced a short film called ‘Silent Message’ that focuses on the appalling conditions refugees are facing in the camp and the life on the island. His previous work focused on the situation of the Hazara minority in Pakistan. Lisa from HarekAct and Ali met in Lesvos for an Interview.


Ali, tell us about your film ‘Silent Message’!

The film is not as good as I wanted it to be, as I realized it with very little equipment but with a lot of help of friends.

With my film, I wanted to show the life for refugees in Moria: The food lines, the tents and the garbage everywhere. But the film is also a message to other refugees stuck on the island. I wanted to show that there can be a life outside of Moria: exploring the capital of Lesvos, spending time at the beaches, swimming or fishing – and thereby trying to forget the horrors of Moria at least for a moment. I see so many people in Moria thinking about their asylum decision all the time and are getting depressed from waiting. So, I decided to do a documentary without any interviews, a silent film to give some hope!

Continue reading Short Film ‘Silent Message’ – on the life for refugees in Lesvos

Syrian Refugees as Seasonal Migrant Workers: Re-Construction of Unequal Power Relations in Turkish Agriculture

This week, the Journal of Refugee Studies published a new paper by Deniz Pelek on Syrian refugees working in the agricultural sector in Turkey.

Abstract: This article examines the case of Syrian refugees as seasonal migrant workers in Turkey and critically discusses the working and living conditions fostering their relative vulnerability compared to other workers. Syrian refugees are subject to discriminatory practices in terms of lower wages, longer working hours and improper sheltering conditions. This article explores how unequal power relations between ethnically different groups of workers in the agricultural sector are (re)constructed and the consequences of the emergence of Syrian refugees as a novel class. The essential aim of this study is to unravel the process and practice of ethnically hierarchized agricultural labour market after the entrance of refugees.

Continue reading Syrian Refugees as Seasonal Migrant Workers: Re-Construction of Unequal Power Relations in Turkish Agriculture

Turkey migrants: Lorry crash in Izmir ‘kills 22’

Via BBC – At least 22 people, including a number of children, were killed in Turkey when a lorry carrying migrants plunged off a road, state media say.

The lorry crashed through a barrier and landed in an irrigation canal 20m (65ft) below, in the western province of Izmir.

The lorry crashed through a barrier and plunged 20m
The lorry crashed through a barrier and plunged 20m (afp)

The nationality of the victims was not immediately known.

A day earlier, 11 people thought to be migrants died when their car burst into flames after a crash in Greece.

Continue reading Turkey migrants: Lorry crash in Izmir ‘kills 22’