L. from Nigeria is 37 years old and arrived in Greece three years ago because of religious persecution. Everyone in his family was Christian, but when his father converted to Islam, all the men of the family had to become Muslims otherwise they would risk death. L. and his six brothers were forced to flee Nigeria and go to other countries. Three of his brothers fled to Ghana and the other two were found in Gambia. He came to Greece.
L. walked nine days with other compatriots to get here. He crossed Syria and Turkey, to arrive in Patras. He had friends there who hosted him for about two years. He came to Athens where he lives the last seven months, by bus. He does not have frequent contact with his family. In 2013, he was informed by his compatriots that his father died. So far, he has not managed to find out the cause of his death.
In Athens, L. is being hosted by friends and they were the ones who led him one day to the Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow in order to receive the free services offered.
“The conditions in Greece are very difficult,” he says. He cannot find a job so his main request is for the employment counselor to guide him so that he can find for a job and be able to live. In his country he was working as a gardener. Now he is looking for a job of any kind that will ensure stability and an income for him to continue his life.
L. found out from the social service of the Center that he can make room and board requests through programs of Praksis -which operates in the Solidarity Center- and in cooperation with the Municipality of Athens.
L. experienced racism from people many times in the past and in the present. In the past, he had gone into a shop to sell jewelry and was verbally insulted. He just smiled at them and said thank you. “They accuse you of having a problem but the problem is their own when they act this way.” One day, as he was walking on the street, two police motorcycles stopped and the officers asked him if he has papers. He showed them and then they asked him if he has ever been incarcerated. “This was somewhat awkward”, he tells us. “They do not know me, they do not know anything about me, and they cannot stigmatize me because I am of different color. I know they stopped me because I’m not white. If I were of different color, they might have not stopped me. Since then, I change direction whenever I see police, not because I’m afraid, but because this suspicion bothers me”.
He recounts another incident. One day, as he was walking on the street, he was stopped by two police officers and they asked him again for his papers. He replied that he did not have them with him but that he has evidence on his mobile. Then the police took his phone and left! “Many times they exploit weak people like me.”
L. tries to not lose hope, to remain active, to chase every opportunity that is given. He wants to find a job, to stay in Greece because, as he tells us, he likes the “climate, different places, and lifestyle” very much. His status does not allow him to go on, have his own family and children. He does want to stay focused on his problems though, he wants look into the future of his life.
He has found great help regarding his request for work at the SolidarityNow”Center and through Praksis; people always welcome him with smile, listen and direct him as they can through the employability program.
But he cannot continue to live in Greece without a job, because he is unable to meet the daily needs and cover costs. He dreams of freedom and democracy.
“I want take control over my life, organize it, strike a balance so that I can live in Greece with dignity.”
Our discussion with L. ends with a phrase that spontaneously came to mind at that moment: “When thinking of the problem you face, you lose your time. So it’s better to think about the solution to the problem.”

Watch the documentary here:

The summer that passed marked one of the most intense moments in the history of immigrants-refugees in the last years in Europe. The first entry point to Europe for the majority of people, who were forced to leave their home countries, was Greece and specifically

On Lesvos Island one out of the innumerable refugees’ stories took place. Present in that story was the Psychologist-Criminologist, Eftychia Georgiadi who works in the Legal Service of NGO ARSIS at the Athens Solidarity Centre. During a mission that was organized-coordinated by Solidarity Now in a number of islands, so as to evaluate the refugee crisis at the moment, Eftychia met on Lesvos island the women of this story, who are relatives and of Syrian origin. Actually, the first lady is a mother of three juveniles, whose husband is back in Syria, and as for the second, her husband has been given a 10-year permit to reside and work in Germany.

At first, the women came in contact with Eftychia and after explaining the situation they were in, they asked her for help with the registration by the authorities. At the same time, the woman, whose husband lives in Germany, mentioned that she had already informed him about her being on Lesvos Island and for this reason, he was about to come, in order to take them to Germany.

Considering all those people waiting to be registered, it is of no surprise that both ladies have been staying on Kara Tepe’s settlement for four days without anything going forward. Having estimated the situation of the ladies, Eftychia contacted a member of the NGO International Organisation for Migration (IOM), who afterwards referred her to speak with a lawyer of the NGO METAction, in order to speed up the registration process. Following all the appropriate steps, the registration completed and hence all of them were transferred from Kara Tepe’s settlement to the port, from where they travelled by ship along with the husband coming from Germany to Athens on 5th of September.

Hereinafter, Eftychia, having contacted the ladies by phone, was thanked for her help and also was informed about the safe arrival of all of them at Piraeus’ port and their subsequent journey, until they arrived safe and sound in Germany after two weeks.

Everyone is smiling and ready to help you!

Asma is a young, unemployed mother of a 3,5 year old child. She has managed to successfully complete a 2-year detox programme regarding alcoholism at KETHEA MOSAIC. For the last two months she has been at a rehabilitation stage. As a result of her new beginning, people from KETHEA referred her to the Athens Solidarity Centre, so as to get more help from the provided services there.

Upon her visit to the Centre, Asma contacted the medical services of PRAKSIS and more specifically, the ophthalmologist for her child, acknowledging and stating how helpful the doctor was. She also reached out to the Network for the Children’s Rights, where she had the chance to speak with the social worker of the NGO. After her conversation with the social worker, Asma felt a lot better about her concerns. In addition to this, Asma started receiving food aid from the same NGO. Apart from these services, Asma sought help from ARSIS, which is also hosted at the Solidarity Centre, in order to obtain legal advice and guidance on the issues of concern which required more specialized assistance.

Shortly before leaving with her child, we asked her if she found the help and support she needed at the Solidarity Centre, and she answered: “I ​​have never regretted visiting this place. Everyone is smiling and willing to offer help. If there wasn’t any understanding and sympathy, there wouldn’t be any reason for me to come and keep on coming”.

Τhe photo on the wall, Amin and an extraordinary encounter

The photo of a person with his hands wide open and stretched, as signs of both despair and expectation of a better future, is the one that someone can see, while entering the management office of SolidarityNow at the Athens Solidarity Centre.
Until recently, for all of us, this was just a picture. Powerful, yes, yet simply a picture on the wall.

Nassos, the guard at the Solidarity Centre was the one who recognized Amin first, by linking almost automatically the picture with the man who now stood in front of him. The staff at the Centre took him by the hand and asked him to follow them. He followed their directions. They led him to the picture on the wall. Indeed, the man in the photo was Amin. Just ten years ago.
When their gazes crossed, Amin immediately fell into his mother’s arms to hide both his tears and emotion.

Amin arrived in Greece in 2005. Starting his journey from his home country Mauritania, Amin followed what the majority of immigrants-asylum seekers do – that is, to travel long distances in their way to Greece. As such, Amin passed through Morocco, Libya and Turkey.

Having completed ten years in Greece and having been recognized as a refugee, Amin hopes for the best. Being a juvenile when arrived in Greece, Amin was given a place to stay at the temporary accommodation of asylum seekers ‘’FUTURE’’ in the area of Moschato. That accommodation is operated by the IASIS A.M.K.E in collaboration with EKPOSPO NOSTOS, ERGOEREUNITIKI and EADAP. During his stay there, Amin had the chance to speak with a staff of the non-profit union ‘’Network for the Children’s Rights’’, who then referred him to the Athens Solidarity Centre (ASC).

When Amin visited ASC, he spoke with the social worker of the ‘’Network’’ in an attempt to ask for help regarding a new accommodation that could accept him. In addition to his request, the social worker also referred him to the employability programme of PRAKSIS, so that he could get advice on job matters.

Currently, Amin is staying with a friend and he is striving to find a job. It is worth mentioning that during the whole conversation we had with him, Amin constantly reiterated his wish to find a job. Therefore now Amin is trying to be issued with the paper that will give him work permission. He visits the non-profit organization NOSTOS, where he has the chance to communicate over the phone with companies and employers.

This life-changing meeting between Amin and the image on the wall of the Athens Solidarity Centre inspired us to become familiar with his story these past 10 years, since he arrived in Greece. And at the same time, it made us reflect upon the strange game of life, the twists war brings into the lives of people, but also into the lives of thousands of other people like “Amin”, which are reflected in pictures, but then pass by and disappear. But do these people actually disappear? Amin showed us that behind the images are everyday people, with their own unique story to tell you.

A mother of two young children became aware of the operation of the Athens Solidarity Centre, after visiting Social Solidarity Hub of the municipality of Athens at Palaio Frourarcheio across Larissa Station. Specifically, the mother seeking to get help as regards food provision, she was informed about the relevant to children and family support services of the two NGO’s Network for the Children’s Rights and Together for the Child, both of them located in the first floor of the Solidarity Centre in Athens.

In her first visit to the centre, S. (the mother) was able to speak with the pedagogue, the social worker and the psychologist of the Network for the Children’s Rights regarding her two children. After a thorough conversation with the staff members of the NGO, S. was referred to attend an appointment with an experienced pediatrician. In the following days, the mother had the chance to speak with the pediatrician as for her younger child. The doctor ascertained that the child appears signs of developmental speech disorder. However, she added that there is no need of worrying, as the immediate action and care by the parents will help the child to recover. Besides that, S. started to attend sessions with the psychologist of the NGO, this time for her older child, regarding the management of child’s behaviour, which has been affected by the fears and anxieties caused by the family environment. S. through those sessions is trying as well to reinforce her roles as a person inside the family and to learn how to cope effectively with everyday’s life’s problems.

Apart from Network for the Children’s Rights, S. visited also the employability service of PRAKSIS for herself and the legal service of ARSIS for one of her close friend’s issue and she was given future appointments.
At the end of our conversation S. told us that the pediatrician is in contact with her, following-up the progress of the child. Moreover, it has been discussed the possibility of enrolling the child in a nursery upon the new school season. According to the mother, this is something that can conduce positively to the socialisation of the child, along with the speech improvement, things that until now have been pushed aside as a result of no appropriate information and specialized support and help.

Panagiotis Bourgazas
Social Scientist

This is the story of X, a refugee from Syria, in his own words:
‘Escaping the destruction and the endless bloodshed that has spread across Syria, we got lost looking for a European country that will accept us. The Arab nation is facing the problem with brutality and exploitation, in a cruel way, a way not to be accepted by humans.

I am a Syrian refugee, from the suburbs of Damascus, Zampantani, I want to live in a European country to continue my life and plans. This is my story with the “blood dealers” in Turkey, Greece and Serbia.

We traveled from Syria to Turkey looking for a smuggler to bring us to Greece. I found one that had the reputation of the “best”. He promised a safe way, a boat in good condition, small number of passengers. We gave our money to an office in Izmir and we started preparing for the trip.
The day after, we traveled to Bodrum and then to the departure point. After several hours waiting we saw a group of people walking and trying to carry a boat to fit 2-3 people. We were 20 shocked people, hoping that it would be a different boat.

But, this was our boat, where 20 people should board and we did, unable to move because once person’s legs were the others seat. We were in the middle of the sea when bad weather and big waves immobilized us, we could not move and our only anxiety was not to drown. After half an hour battling with the waves the boat ran out of petrol, we lost control, the waves pushed the boat left and right. We were half an hour in the darkness, full of fear and anxiety, it was a slow death for us, we thought we would become food for the fish. After a while a big boat with big lights was coming towards us, we were minutes away from death, we began to shout in order to be heard, we used the flash of the cameras and luckily someone on the ship noticed us and suddenly the ‘ship of death’ became the ‘ship of life’. After half an hour we were boarded on the Coast Guard’s boat that took us to the island of Kos.
We reached the island of Kos and stayed there for three days in the detention center, then we were released and went to Athens.

Eight months we spent in Greece, these were the most difficult period of my life and under very difficult conditions.

A couple of months after, me and a friend of mine were looking for a smuggler in order to travel by plane to Germany, but we couldn’t. If you want to travel illegally by plane you need to have a good demand of the Greek language and you should also look like a European or just be lucky.
We were looking for our way to Germany by plane for a month but we were not lucky and the fact that it was the end of the tourist season didn’t help us, so we decided to try to walk.
A month later, it was our first attempt to Serbia, we left Athens in order to go to Thessaloniki to meet the smuggler. During my stay to Thessaloniki I visited the Solidarity Center several times mainly for social support. After 4 days talking on the phone with the smuggler he told us what we had to do, but we were penniless and had to spend some days on the streets, homeless, with the temperature reaching the 3-5 degrees in the evening.

After days on the streets, we traveled to Kilkis, to Evzone, to Macedonia, on foot.
We were so many, young people, old people, families or by ourselves (more or less 200 people). We were walking for hours, until the sunrise. We had to reach a mountain and despite the rain, the rough weather and the fatigue we were very happy. The temperature was low as the evening approached. It was a difficult night, unable to sleep because of the cold. In the morning we started walking again for five hours until we arrived in an abandon small house and stayed there until we heard about our next step. We were asked to pay one quarter of the money we had agreed with the smugglers for the cars to come and get us. After five days on hold with limited food and water, without any news from our smugglers we decided to return to Greece. A way back full of dangers. In our effort to reach the city we were stopped by a gang who stole us and got everything (money, mobiles).

Having lost my legal papers on the way back, we reached Greece homeless and exhausted. The weather got worse and the border exits closed after the death of several refugees and many of us went to Athens to protest requesting legal travel documents. After several weeks protesting in Syndagma, we came to an agreement with the Greek government for legal travel documents as asylum seekers, giving priority to those listed in Syndagma square, but unfortunately I was not able to write my name on the list because some of the protesters took advantage of the situation and listed their friends and relatives.

So by being not included on the priority list I went to the asylum office in Katehaki. Me and my friend were there every morning for two months, but never been picked. The asylum seeker officer used every day 10 names from the list and he randomly chose ten unlisted people. We wore the same jacket every day in order to be remembered, but this never happened.

With no patience or any other choice we tried, once again, to leave the country with the ‘help’ of smugglers. We walked for days and thank God we’ve reached Macedonia then Serbia, Hungary and by train to Germany.

This difficult journey of mine ended here in Germany, I wish all the Syrians in Greece to reach their destination fast and with no dangers.

Thank you’.

X is legally living as asylum seeker in Germany.
Translation from Arabic by Roula Ganoun, 
PRAKSIS translator at the Solidarity Center in Thessaloniki
Translation in English by Aggeliki Papadopoulou

Maria is a single parent, of a nine year old boy, who tries her best for the upbringing of her child, after being unemployed since the end of 2012. Having contacted PRAKSIS’ offices in Athens, a social worker visited her at home and estimated her situation. Thus, Maria has been able to receive financial support for the last six months. In addition to this, Maria attends face-to-face sessions to a work advisor of PRAKSIS.
Moreover, a friend of hers, who happens to be a single parent just like her informed her about the overall work that is going on at the Solidarity Centre in Athens at Palaio Frourarcheio. Maria started visiting the medical services provided by PRAKSIS for herself a month ago.
However, Maria’s first and foremost concern is the wellbeing of her little boy, who faces Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) or Autism Spectrum Disorders. PDD-NOS simply refers to children who have problems with communication, play and interaction with others and is one among other four Pervasive Developmental Disorders, like Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. As being aware of her child’s need, Maria took him to speech-therapy, since he was 21 months old. She stated also, that no significant provision of help was given through IKA.
Apart from the care issue, Maria pointed out that her son has been a victim of social racism a few times at school, due to his condition and lately has been isolated by his classmates. As a result, she spoke with people of NGO ‘’Together for Children’’ at Solidarity Centre in Athens regarding a programme that is focused on children with learning disabilities. Maria hopes that her son receives appropriate help, securing in that way a better future for himself. Last, but not least is what she said about more information along with seminars should be provided at schools as regards the phenomenon of social racism and bullying.

On Wednesday 13/5/14, 93 refugees, among them 18 minors, were trapped for almost 12 hours in a commercial train at Gevgelija (FYROM) with original destination Serbia.
They were rescued after calling 112 and being detected by the officers of OSE (national railway organization) and Idomeni’s police officers. The Greek Police Department followed the process of receiving data and depositions from the refugees who were released and sent to Thessaloniki. They are all legal with a six month public service note.
In the following days three of the families and a number of adults visited the Thessaloniki Solidarity Center seeking support: information, clothing, medical and legal assistance.
Mohammed, a Syrian man and \”passenger\” of the train talked with us about his adventure and underlined the need to make his story public, hoping that the refugees will be informed about the risks they are dealing with.
His trip started 1, 5 month ago from Lebanon where he stayed with his family the last years, due to the war in Syria. Germany was the final destination where his father stays.
He arrived to Smyrna with no difficulty and were transferred with the help of a smuggler by boat for 1.000$ to Mytilene with 25 people, women, men and children.
The Coast Guard gathered them from an isolated beach in Mytilene and kept them for three days in the detention center of the island. Mohammed was one of the lucky refugees who was placed in the new detention center. As he heard from others, the old center was not clean and was crowded.                                                                                                                                                     Refugees, under custody, were mostly Syrians and Afghans. There were no translators, they were given basic medical care and there were no medical exams. After three days they were released and once they gave their fingerprints they were given a public service note which lasts for six months.
The next destination was Athens, where he came into contact with the smuggler and he took instructions on how to continue his journey to Germany. First stop was Thessaloniki where he came by train and the next goal was to continue to the borders.                 According to the public service note which was given to him, he is banned to stay / transit in Kilkis meaning he cannot use any legal way to reach the borders. He and 4 other people paid 600 € on a taxi ride to Polykastro (49km from Thes/niki). The taxi left them in a remote area and they had to walk five hours to arrive to Polikastro. They were instructed that they would pass the borders at night with the smuggler and from Gevgelija would board in a commercial train for Serbia. The cost was 1600€ per person.
– What were the conditions while waiting for boarding?
\”Before we travel to Gevgelija we slept in the forest. The route from Idomeni was two hours. Around 800 people were gathered from different smugglers in an abandoned area in the forest waiting the train. Some refused to continue the journey in such conditions and were forced to board (beaten and blackmailed). The FYROM Police Department were watching from distance but did nothing. There were several children among the 800 people…. I am glad that I don’t have my children with me, even in war they are safer than they would have been here with me\”
800 people were packed in the train wagons which were full of large paper rolls. Basically, they were standing and squeezed between products. In each wagon there were 2 people of Afghan origin sent from the smugglers with large knifes trying to keep them quiet.
They were more than four hours in the wagons when started to feel upset as been threatened by the smugglers (children and adults). While waiting, FYROM police opened the door of the wagon just to have a look and closed the door again, after a few moments the train moved but then a strong sound like someone released the rest of the train was heard and the train freezes  again.
\”When you leave Syria you know the route, what you do not know is the risks you take. They informed us only for the physical stress and hardship, no one tells us about the mafia and crime. When you\’re in the forest you are in the hands of the mafia …\”
– What was the situation on the train?
\”The atmosphere was stuffy, we had no idea where we were and the worst, we could not escape since the wagons opened only from the outside.\”
Being in a stuffy wagon and under the threat of knives, putting their own life into danger, they tried to break the walls of the wagon and leave. They called the smuggler but didn’t respond and then FYROM police informed them that there were not in their territory so, they could not intervene. Finally, almost 12 hours later, they managed to call 112 and talk with Greek police who found them in Greek territory in the area of ​​Idomeni and rescued them.
“I did not know that there is another way to reach your destination, that of family reunification, if I knew it, I would prefer it\”
Doctors, local organizations and residents took care of them; they offered clothing, food, water. Later they were transferred to the police and the next day they travelled to Thessaloniki by coach.
\”… I left my country where the war has destroyed everything, my wife and 2 children live in a rural area in a tent and their only hope is to be able to get to Germany, my money is over and I do not know what I will do from now on…. I am afraid that I will die in the woods away from my country and my family..\”
The interview was given at the Thessaloniki Solidarity Centre on 05.15.2015 to the staff of SN and with the assistance of Arabic-speaking translator from PRAKSIS.                                                                                       
According to the code of conduct, special considerations were given to the protection of personal data, and with the consent of the interviewee we conducted this interview and made it public.                                                  
Mohammed was referred to the Greek Council for Refugees where he was informed about the process to follow for family reunification.

Translation and edited in English for SN by Aggeliki Papadopoulou.

Vangelis is a 51 year old person, who has been struggling to make ends meet for the past six years. His story has as a starting point the rise of the economic crisis and whatever came as negative results of it for him and a vast majority of people. Specifically, Vangelis during the recession lost his two businesses (restaurants), after went bankrupt. In the meantime, he made the decision to immigrate to Germany, Netherlands and Austria, in search of a decent job and better living conditions. He spent most of his time abroad in Dusseldorf, having worked there as kitchen staff at local Greek restaurants. However, a few unpaid salaries from one of his employers in Dusseldorf forced him to return to Greece.
Upon his arrival, Vangelis has been hosted for more than a year to a friend’s house at Fyli in Attica. Also, along with it and in effort to increase the possibilities of finding a job, he tried in vain to be registered to OAED programme, so as to get an unemployment card. Vangelis was informed that he couldn’t obtain the card, due to a pending case of his former business’ book of account. As a result, Vangelis visited Solidarity Centre in Athens and asked for advice and help of the accountant provided by ARSIS.
Regardless of all the difficulties that Vangelis came across, he worked only a few times as a plumber. Thus, he left his friend’s house and rented a small flat close to Omonoia, where he lives these days. Vangelis says that he has been supported a lot as for food for the last months by the monks of the monastery of Saint Cyprianus and the Fylis’ municipality.
Vangelis is still looking for job. Actually, he is in contact with an employment agency and he has been informed that he might be able to find work at Varna in Bulgaria.

Panagiotis Bourgazas
Social Scientist, Intern