Ms. Grillmeier *, what is the mood like in Lesbos?
It has been bad for a long time. The Greek government announced a few weeks ago that it would set up a second, closed camp for refugees and migrants in Lesvos. This led to strong protests in the local population. That the government claimed land for a second camp was not well received. Anger was later directed against the refugees and migrants, against NGO employees and journalists. In the meantime we see an absolute climax of the violence. Police escorts bring NGOs from the island, journalists are beaten up. At the same time, now that Turkey has opened its borders, more boats are arriving. These people are no longer receiving medical care, even if they have broken legs. At the moment blind rage has gotten out of hand on the island, probably also because one has felt abandoned by the EU for so long.
Have you been attacked or threatened as a journalist?
The fact that I don’t have a camera with me and I’ve been here for a long time now comes to my mind. But I’ve also become more careful. The violence is directed primarily against refugees and migrants in Moria, they have become an ongoing target.
Who arrives in Lesbos now?
Above all Afghans, who had been stuck in Turkey for years and hardly enjoyed basic protection there. This means that children could not go to school, they were not granted asylum status, and they were threatened with deportation at all times. These people have been trying desperately to get to safety in Europe for many months. Afghans make up the majority of the refugees in the Moria camp with 70 percent.
How did the refugees shape life on the island?
First there was the Moria refugee camp, which is actually only designed for 2,800 people and which has grown in all directions over time: Around 20,000 people now live in and around the camp in the olive groves – without water, electricity or medical care , This led to the branches of olive trees being sawn off so that fires could be made and cooked. Where living together worked well for a long time, the situation has now escalated. Refugees are attacked with stones and chains and take to the streets at the risk of life. You now live in a legal space. Many on Lesbos think that the refugees simply have to go and all problems are solved suddenly.
The majority of people in Lesbos think that way?
It is difficult to assess. What we have noticed for a long time is an increasing rejection of refugees. The solidarity that many islanders still showed in 2015 turned into tiredness, frustration and blind hatred among individuals.
Can you understand the Greeks in their rejection?
I absolutely understand that people are tired, frustrated and left alone. That they do not know what the future will bring and how it will go on. That there is a collective feeling of malaise. But what I cannot understand: The people who arrive here are extremely vulnerable. You can see that immediately. That is why I am amazed by the force of hatred towards these people. Not that hatred has spread to the whole island, people’s lives and everyday lives go on. But the voices of those who shout the loudest are reverberating the loudest right now.
The EU in Greece feels abandoned. What do you expect from her?
That responsibility is taken. That the refugees and migrants are distributed and that those who have been stuck on the island for years are not only brought to mainland Greece, but are also accommodated in other EU countries, where refugee accommodation is sometimes even free. People expect to be seen and heard and not left alone. If they realize that the EU does not even want to accept unaccompanied minor refugees in the winter months, they are absolutely stunned. About the fact that despite all the knowledge of what is happening, the EU simply does not act.
*Franziska Grillmeier has been working as a freelance reporter on the island since 2018.
(Gux)
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