Via Ahval News / Nurcan Baysal (from August 25)- Before the European Union and Turkey signed an agreement in 2016 to limit the number of Syrian refugees heading to Europe in return for aid to help those who had fled the war to Turkey, I was among a group of academics and activists who work on refugee issues in Turkey invited to Berlin to discuss the matter.
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A Faithful Alliance Between the Civil Society and the State: Actors and Mechanisms of Accommodating Syrian Refugees in Istanbul
A new paper by Didem Danış and Dilara Nazlı on the mechanism and actors involved in accommodating Syrian refugees in Istanbuls district Sultanbeyli was published:
Reception, hospitality and integration are certainly the main challenges of the contemporary world, particularly for countries like Turkey which hosts more than 3 million refugees from Syria. The aim of this article is to analyze the reception practices of civil society organizations and the nature of these bodies’ relationship with state agencies by focusing on Sultanbeyli, a peripheral district of Istanbul. Based on a fieldwork conducted in this district, we present the functioning of various state and non‐state actors in order to uncover not only the role of NGOs, but also the nature of the relations between them and the state in terms of governance of refugee reception in Turkey. We thus argue that the reception of Syrian refugees is undertaken by a “faithful” alliance between the state and certain NGOs, a partnership where civil society assumes a supporting role to the state in refugee reception.
‘Hero’ Syrian swimmer arrested by Greek police for helping migrants reach Lesbos
Via The Telegraph – Greek police have charged a Syrian “hero” refugee, who was once hailed for saving people from a sinking boat in the Mediterranean, with helping migrants illegally enter the country.
Sara Mardini, 23, who has settled in Germany, was arrested last week in what police said was an operation to dismantle a “criminal network” involving 30 members of an NGO working on the island on Lesbos, where thousands of migrants are living in camps.
“For me, this is clearly a case of criminalising help given to refugees,” Haris Petsikos, her lawyer said, adding that she is being detained in a prison outside of Athens. He said Ms Mardini, who denies the charges, had been volunteering on the island for Emergency Response Centre International.
Continue reading ‘Hero’ Syrian swimmer arrested by Greek police for helping migrants reach Lesbos
Lesvos prosecutor files against 30 NGO members facilitating migrants trafficking
Via Keep Talking Greece – Greek authorities have struck a blow to a NGO suspected to have been involved in facilitating the illegal arrivals of refugees and migrants to the islands of Lesvos and Samos. The NGO was mainly operating on the island of Lesvos and the hot spot of Moria. Investigation that has lasted several months has reportedly found out that the NGO was systematically active in the facilitation of the illegal entry of migrants and refugees to Greece.
Continue reading Lesvos prosecutor files against 30 NGO members facilitating migrants trafficking
Children ‘attempting suicide’ at Greek refugee camp
Via BBC – At Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, there is deadly violence, overcrowding, appalling sanitary conditions and now a charity says children as young as 10 are attempting suicide. The Victoria Derbyshire programme has been given rare access inside.
“We are always ready to escape, 24 hours a day we have our children ready,” says Sara Khan, originally from Afghanistan. “The violence means our little ones don’t get to sleep.”
Continue reading Children ‘attempting suicide’ at Greek refugee camp
Former Kurdish MP from Turkey to appeal for asylum in Greece
Via Ekathimerini – A former MP for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has expressed her intention to apply for asylum in Greece. Continue reading Former Kurdish MP from Turkey to appeal for asylum in Greece
Syrian refugees find Turkey more welcoming than western Europe
Most of the 3.5m Syrians in Turkey can at least work, but the future is precarious
Germany and Greece seal migrant return deal
Via DW (17.08) – The German Interior Ministry has announced it has reached a deal that will allow it to return asylum-seekers to Greece. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez agreed to a similar compromise last week.
Turkey aims to open new border gate with Iraq
Italian Minister Accuses Turkey of Not Fulfilling Migrant Deal Despite EU Money
Via Sputnik (23.07.18) – Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday that Turkey was not fulfilling its agreement with the European Union to help curb migration to Europe, despite Ankara having received financial aid that was promised under the deal, pointing out that 1,200 migrants had arrived to Italy from Turkey since the beginning of 2018.
Continue reading Italian Minister Accuses Turkey of Not Fulfilling Migrant Deal Despite EU Money