REFUGEESANDINTERNALLYDISPLACEDPEOPLE(IDPS)IN GREECE:THECAUSES,JOURNEY,EFFECTS,AND SOLUTIONSFORTHEMIGRATIONOFREFUGEESANDIDPS
Maria-IlianaChiladaki ResearchScholarsProgram,HarvardStudentAgencies.IncollaborationwithLearnwithLeadersABSTRACT
Asolutionforrefugeesisgettingtogetheragroupofvolunteerswhocanbeattheairportortheports,greetthemoncetheyarrive,introducethemtothecountry,talkto themabouttheirrightsanddutiesaccordingtoGreeklaw,andevenprovidesheltertounaccompaniedchildren.Weneedactivities,volunteers,andprograms,toensure thatthesepeoplecancovertheirbasicneeds(ReliefInternational,2023).Thenumberofasylumseekersisrising,andtheflowofrefugeestoowhencomparingthe years2021and2022(Ansaetal.,2022). Thereforerefugeesareamajorissueforthecountry Migrationiscausedbysociopoliticalfactors,demographic&economic factors,andlastbutnotleastenvironmentalfactors(NationalGeographic,2010). MorethanhalfofthemigrantscometoGreecefromcountriesinconflict,mainlythe SyrianArabRepublic.AfghanistanandIraquiscomprisethenextbiggestgroup.Someareforcedtoleavetheirplaceofhabitualresidencebecauseofnaturaldisasters (Heilmann,2015).Itwasfoundthatindividualsupportisgreatlyneeded.Decisionsmustbemadewhilebeingmindfulofthefactthatthefuturegenerationisthe children,andsomeofthemarerefugees.
KEYWORDS:Refugees,IDP,migrants,economicgrowth,migrationroute,community
INTRODUCTION
When discussing the topic of refugees and internally displaced people, it is importanttofirstunderstandthedefinitionoftheseterms.Arefugeeisaperson whohasbeenforcedtoleavetheircountry,becauseofamajorproblemthere,and isthereforeoutsideofhiscountryofnationality(UNHCR,2023).An(internally displaced person) is someone who is migrating within a country, and does not crossborders(UN,2023).
BeforeinvestigatingtherefugeesandinternallydisplacedpeopleinGreece,itis importanttobeawareofthecountry'slocation,tohelpcreateaclearervisionof the case study Greece is located in the southernmost of the country's Balkan Peninsula.Thecountryhasmorethan2000islands,170ofwhichhavecitizens. ThecapitalcityofthiscountryhasanareaarounditnamedAttikí(Cloggetal., 2023).
TheLocation
Surrounding Greece is theAegean Sea (from east to west), the Mediterranean Sea(fromthesouth),andtheIoniansea(fromthewest).Inthenorthernpartof Greece,thePindos mountainsarelocated(on themainland).Thesereachfrom theAlbanian,andNorthMacedonianfrontiers,creatingabarrier Thesemountains have one of the world's deepest gorges (3600 feet, 1100 meters) (Klaus, 2020).
However, Greece's highest mountain (9500 feet, 219 meters) is called Mount Olympus,locatedattheborderofMacedonia,andThessaly Thelandbordersare (fromeasttowest):Albania,theRepublicofNorthMacedonia,Bulgaria,andTurkey(NationalGeographic,2014).
CausesofMigration
Migrationisthecauseofseveralfactors.Thefirstoneissocio-politicalfactors suchasnational,religious,racial,andpersecutiondrives.Demographicandeconomicfactorsarealsoincluded.Theserefertotheimpactofmigrationoneconomicgrowth,andtheemploymentopportunitiesoftheoriginoforiginontherefugeesorinternallydisplacedpeopleare(“Εξερευνώνταςτααίτιατηςμετανάστευσης”2020).
Lastbutnotleast,environmentalfactorsareamajorcauseofpopulationmovementsduetoenvironmentalchanges(forinstancehurricanes,andearthquakes). Unfortunately,Africaisoneexampleofthephenomenonoftheclimatechange forcebecauseofthelackofwater(Hoffmann,2020).
Whenmigratingfromacountry,therearepush,andpullfactorsboththerefugees andinternallydisplacedpeoplemustconsider.Pullfactorsarethereasonswhy anindividualwantstofleetothisspecificcountry Theycomprisehigherwages, better job opportunities, higher living standards, and educational opportunities (KyaingThet,2014).
War,andperhapsreligiouslybasedterrorismisonemajorpushfactor OneexampleofthiswastheTaliban,areligiousandpoliticalgroupthatnowhaspowerin Afghanistan and over other terrorist groups (jihadists and ISIS militants) who threatenedpeopletojointheminAfghanistan(“ΥπουργείοΜετανάστευσηςκαι Ασύλου”,2020).
However, the refugees are not only fromAfghanistan but are also from Syria, Iran, Albania, China, Bangladesh, Georgia, Pakistan, Egypt, and India. These refugeeshavebeenmovingtoLesvos,Chios,Samos,Tios(Crete),Rhodes,Kos, Symi,Leros,Kalymnos,Euros,andAthens.Tounderstandrefugeesbetter,itis vital to take key dates from their journeys into consideration first (“Υπουργείο ΜετανάστευσηςκαιΑσύλου”,2020).Thefirsteconomicmigrationwascreated in 1989 in Eastern Europe from the fall of socialist regimes. Then, the immigrantsweremainlyfromAlbania,Bulgaria,andRomania.Somewerealsofrom AfricanandAsiancountries(SrutiChaganti,2004).
Nevertheless, this was not the only key date related to refugees. In the first 9 monthsof2011,thetrendfortheGreek-Turkishborderwassimilartotheonein 2010,withthedifferenceoftherebeinga5%decrease.Tobeexact,therewere 37000peoplewhocrossedtheborders(incomparisonto39000).TheywererefugeesfromAfghanistan,Pakistan,Algeria,andMorocco.
To conclude, the arrivals increased 5 times compared to the arrivals in 2010 (“Στατιστικά |Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης καιΑσύλου”, 2020) Moreover, the ministryofGreecehascollecteddatashowingthatmostrefugeeshaveentered GreecethroughTurkey,despitetheseaborderofSpain,asin2010.FromJanuary toOctober2011,1700AlgeriansenteredGreece,onadailybasis.Lastly,another important date is 2020, as the Department of Immigration, and Asylum got recreatedafteritwasabolishedin2019(“Στατιστικά-UNHCRΕλλάδα”,2022)
TheJourney
Whentherefugeesaremigratingtherearespecificroutesthattheyfollow The firstoneistheBalkanroute.ThispathstartsinTurkeyandthengoesthrougheither Bulgaria or Greece by land and sea. One of the main dangers is taking the boats,andreachingoneoftheislands.Forinstance,theboatcaneasilyturnover, andthereforetherefugeesmusttrytheirbesttonotmove.Themigrants,however,oftentakeitfurthernorthwiththegoaltoreachSloveniaorHungary,andpossiblyGermany(Ansa,etal.,2021).
AnotherrouteistheeasternMediterraneanroutefromTurkeytoGreecebyland andsea.ItreferstoirregulararrivalsinGreece,Cyprus,andBulgaria(European Council, 2023). 85% and more of those arriving in Greece are from countries wherethereisconflict-suchasSyria,Afghanistan,Iraq,andSomalia. Oncethe refugeesarrive,theygototheReceptionandIdentificationCenters(RIC)where theyundergoproceduresorreceptionandidentificationinordertobeabletosubmit an application for international protection (asylum) (“Υπουργείο ΜετανάστευσηςκαιΑσύλου”,2020).
These are found in the following cities and islands in Greece: Diavata, Kos, Leros,Malakasa,Mytilene,Samos,Fylakio,ChiosandWestLesvos.Accommodationfacilitiesarelocatedonthemainland:AttikoAlsos,Alexandria,Volo.In total,therearearound28islands;whereasontheislandsofLesbos,Kos,Samos, Leros and Chios accommodation facilities are also located (“Υπουργείο ΜετανάστευσηςκαιΑσύλου”,2020).
Furthermore, there are the Closed ControlledAccess Centers of Islands (C.C. A.C.I) which were created as Regional Operation Units of the Reception and IdentificationService.Oneofthemainfactorswhichshowwhyexactlytherefugeesseekingasylum(animmigrantwhohaslefttheircountryofresidence,and
enteredanothercountry) inGreeceis:beingoffereddecentwagesandlivingconditions while also having the ability of the labor market to assimilate refugees. However,refugeesperceiveothersubjectivefactorsasbeingevenmoreimportant - such as the presence of an established community, with its hospitality, livingnetworks,theexistenceoflegislationonfamilyreunificationandtherole womenplayinsociety Moreprecisely,bycomingtoGreece,theyarehopingfor better living standards and opportunities (“Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου”,2020).
ThefactorsthatmakeGreece(andEuope)anattractivedestinationincludethe low percentage of the unemployment rate, the low wage rate, higher GDPper capita or perhaps more effectively the Human Development Index, and the healthandeducationsystems.Simply,GreeceisseenasthegatewaytoEurope forthesepeople.Ontheotherhand,internallydisplacedpeoplereachsafetywith thesupportthegovernmentprovidesthemwith;likeshelterandfoodinorganizedcamps(Tramountanisetal.,2022)
TheConsequences
When the refugees are moving, they are facing stressors, and this could cause traumatic stress, acculturation stress, resettlement stress, and isolation (World Health Organization, 2021). Meanwhile, the host countries' populations often believethatbyrefugeesenteringthecountry,thereisanunexpectedriseofasylumseekerswhichhasledthecountrytomajoreconomicandsocialconsequences for health outcomes, and has caused significant challenges for the Greek National Health Service (NHS) (“Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου”, 2020).
However,whentherefugeesleavetheirhomecountry,thereisalossoffinancial and information wealth, loss of skilled labor (for instance, if doctors migrate therewon'tbeasmanyphysiciansinthecountry),andnegativeeffectsonchildren(whenpeoplemigratetheyarelikelytoleavetheirfamilybehindwhichcan causetherestofthefamilygrowingupwithlittleemotional,andmaterialsupport),andadvantageswhicharereductionofunemployment,andmigrantsbringing back skills and contacts which will boost competitiveness, and increase innovation(Prasanna,2022).
TheProposal
Intoday'svolatilepoliticalandenvironmentallandscape,itisvitalthatnations planandimplementproposalsthatstrivetomaketheworldabetterplace.Forthe refugees,aproposalistohavevolunteersattheairportandportwelcomingthem and introducing them to the country.Through this, they would be aware of the necessarydocuments,socialintegrationprograms(Migrantintegrationcenters, Language support to refugees, Integration project Helios, and the Help desk), how,andwheretoapplytoreceiveforinstancetheirresidencepermit(ADET). Meanwhile, internally displaced people can be supported through volunteers, programs,andactivitiessuchasaprograminformingthemabouttheirrights,and theterminationofbenefits(“DisplacedPeople”,2022).
Conclusion
Theyouthareourfuture,manyofthemarerefugeesandinternallydisplacedpeople(“InternallyDisplacedPersons|EducateaChild”,2019).Itiscrucialtotake actionnowinordertosupportourfuturegenerationwithcompassion.Refugees andinternallydisplacedpeoplemustnotbedeprivedoftheirhumanrights.
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