Mobile Units Program for Refugees in Piraeus from SolidarityNow

28/06/201628/06/2016 ENstaff refugeecrisis, refugees, SolidarityNow

Since the beginning of the “Blue Dots” program in May 2016 until today, the teams of SolidarityNow and NCSS have helped more than 1,000 refugees.

society

With 1 human in every 113 affected, forced displacement hits record high – UNHCR

20/06/201620/06/2016 ENstaff asylum, children, Global Trends report, Grandi, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, migrants, refugees, UNHCR

Conflict and persecution caused global forced displacement to escalate sharply in 2015, reaching the highest level ever recorded and representing immense human suffering, according to a report released by the UN Refugee Agency.

society

Pre-registration of asylum seekers began on mainland Greece

09/06/201608/06/2016 ENstaff asylum, refugees, UNHCR

The process is open to people who entered Greece from 1 January 2015 and prior to 20 March 2016. There is no limit to the number of those who can pre-register, and all nationalities can participate in the operation.

James Nyang Chiengjiek, 25, is a refugee from South Sudan living in Kenya. He is competing in the 800m race. ; At age 13, James Nyang Chiengjiek fled his home in what was then southern Sudan to avoid being kidnapped by rebels who were forcibly recruiting child soldiers. As a refugee in neighbouring Kenya, he attended school in a highland town known for its runners and joined a group of older boys training for long-distance events. ìThatís when I realised I could make it as a runner ñ and if God gives you a talent, you have to use it,î he says.

At first, he did not have proper running shoes. Sometimes he borrowed footwear from others, but he won no matter what he wore on his feet. ìWe all of us got a lot of injuries because of the wrong shoes we had,î he says. ìThen we were sharing. If maybe you have two pairs of shoes, then you help the one that has none.î

When he goes to Rio, James aims to inspire others. ìBy running well, I am doing something good to help others ñ especially refugees,î he says. ìMaybe among them are athletes with talent, but who did not yet get any opportunities. We are refugees like that, and some of us have been given this opportunity to go to Rio. We have to look back and see where our brothers and sisters are, so if one of them also has talent, we can bring them to train with us and also make their lives better.î

society

UNHCR welcomes announcement of Refugee Olympic Team

05/06/201605/06/2016 ENstaff #WithRefugees, 2016 Olympic Games, Grandi, International Olympic Committee, Refugee Olympic Team, refugees, Rio de Janeiro, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR

UNHCR warmly welcomed announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the refugees who will compete as a team in the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. They include two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and six runners from Ethiopia and South Sudan.

society

Ηigh death toll as 204,000 cross Mediterranean in 5-month period 2016

31/05/2016 ENstaff death, Mediterranean, migrants, refugees, sea, shipwrecks, UNHCR

A series of shipwrecks and capsizings last week on the Mediterranean now appears to have claimed at least 880 lives, according to new information we have received through interviews of survivors in Italy.

society

UNHCR concerned about conditions in new refugee sites

30/05/201630/05/2016 ENstaff FYROM, Greece, Idomeni, migrants, migration policy, refugee crisis, refugees, UNHCR

UNHCR is seriously concerned about sub-standard conditions at several sites in northern Greece where refugees and migrants were evacuated last week from the makeshift site at Idomeni, and urges the Greek authorities, with the financial support provided by the European Union, to find better alternatives quickly.

society

MSF: The alternative to the inhumane should not be the unknown for Idomeni refugees

26/05/201626/05/2016 ENstaff Greece, Idomeni, Medecins Sans Frontieres, MSF, refugee crisis, refugees

As the eviction of residents from Idomeni camp continues, MSF denounces the forced movement of thousands of refugees, the lack of information provided about their destinations and the restrictions imposed on humanitarian assistance.

society

UNHCR – Thessaloniki Municipality sign refugee housing agreement

23/05/201623/05/2016 ENstaff asylum-seekers, EU, refugee crisis, refugees, UNHCR

The agreement will soon create 660 new accommodation places for refugees, who have applied to be relocated to another EU country and for vulnerable asylum-seekers.

society

Refugee “hotspots” in Greece unsafe, unsanitary – HRW

22/05/2016 ENstaff Greece, hotspots, human rights, Human Rights Watch, migrants, refugee crisis, refugees, Samos, UNHCR

Police are failing to protect people during frequent incidents of violence in closed centers on the Greek islands known as “hotspots,” Human Rights Watch said. The centers were established for the reception, identification, and processing of asylum seekers and migrants.

events

Prominent writers at the 13th Thessaloniki Book Fair

13/05/2016 ENstaff Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, HELEXPO, Israel, refugees, Romania, Thessaloniki Book Fair

More than 250 Greek and foreign writers have been invited to attend, from Israel, China, Canada, Germany, France, Egypt, Romania among other countries.

interviews people

Ambassador of Norway:”The challenge for the Greek economy is its competitive edge and its business climate” [interview]

07/06/2016 ENstaff

The Ambassador of Norway in Athens, His Excellency Jørn Eugene Gjelstad, spoke to EmbassyNews.net and commented on the current developments in Greek and European politics, the economy and the refugee crisis.