AYS Daily Digest 10/04/2020: Police violence in Serbian refugee camp
Feature
The Asylum Protection Center in Serbia reports that a 14-year-old boy from Syria approached camp administrators at the Krajaca refugee camp, located 10km from Belgrade, to request his pyjamas but was then physically assaulted by the employee.
The news of the young boy’s assault by the staff at the refugee camp angered many of the camp’s residents, who headed to the gate of the camp to complain and wait for the police under the belief that the police would assist them in seeking justice.
At 3 pm a large group of police officers arrived at the camp entrance, with initial reports indicating the arrival of 10 police cars. An announcement rang out across the camp demanding that everyone return back to their rooms.
The police marched through the camp and started to arrest people. It is believed they were using a list provided by the camp officials to find and locate individuals. Reports from inside the camp indicate the police used gas and excessive violence resulting in multiple injuries including a suspected broken arm. The videos show people including women and children running from their buildings coughing and covering their faces because of the gas, with one woman fainting outside the building.
The Asylum Protection Center reports the camp residents did not get an explanation of what the gas was and why the use of this gas and violence was necessary. Two buses of people were taken from the camp, but it is unclear as to why or where they were taken.
Greece
After placing two refugee and migrant camps into lockdown, the Greek health authorities have additionally placed quarantine measures onto a Roma settlement in Larissa. The Roma settlement houses an estimated 3,000 people of which 18 people have so far tested positive.
Speaking to the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Mayor Apostolos Kalogiannis said this incident “confirms the worst-case scenario”.
Info migrants have recently published a list of helpful services, NGOs and aid groups that migrants and refugees can turn to in times of need. The full list includes organisations that can assist unaccompanied minors, help facilitate medical care for people without documents, provide food distribution and general outreach.
Caritas Greece: The Catholic charity provides social support services to migrants and refugees. Their activities include the distribution of food and clothes as well as educational and psychological support services. The main office is in Athens, and 10 additional regional offices are spread throughout Greece. Contact them on Facebook — CaritasHellas — or call +30 210 52 47879.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expanded its activities in Greece in response to COVID-19. The organization is active on Lesbos and Samos as well as in Athens. Their activities include “vaccinating migrant children against common childhood diseases, providing sexual and reproductive healthcare, treating chronic diseases and providing care for victims of torture and sexual violence.” Contact MSF on Facebook or call +30 21 0520 0500
Solidarity Clinics (KIFA): The solidarity clinics operate throughout Greece and are funded by NGOs and private donations. They offer free treatment and medicines to undocumented migrants as well as to people who have insurance but still cannot afford medication.
For a full list of organisations please follow the link:
Help for refugees and undocumented migrants in Greece
Many migrants and refugees are struggling to get by in Greece. The coronavirus pandemic has made things even worse, as…
Following the death of a young boy in the Moria camp, hundreds of people have decided to peacefully protest against the camp’s current security situation. Demonstrators held banners saying “Moria is not safe for Hazara people” and “We want rights and security”. The anger and frustration of the camp residents come after a continuing deterioration of the situation within the camp, with three tents having caught fire and one young boy tragically dying within the last 24 hours.
Videos uploaded by the Moria Corona Awareness team show people peacefully sitting on the ground. One participant of the protest explains:
“We are here together to make a peaceful demonstration, as there are a lot of problems inside the camp. So we don’t want any more fighting, war and anarchism inside the camp. So our demand from the Greek organizations, the Greek government, from UNICEF and other organizations that are all working for the refugees, our demand is that Moria is not safe for every refugee from every camp. Last night we lost a young boy, a minor aged 16 because we didn’t have good medical care here, the boy was bleeding a lot. Because of the bleeding, he died.”
▻https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-daily-digest-10-04-2020-police-violence-in-serbian-refugee-camp-71f045fa
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