Little to no heating, a lack of blankets, and unsanitized water are just a few of the daily challenges faced by people living in the Samos Closed-Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). Last week, we spoke with members of our community who shared their thoughts and personal experiences on this unbearable situation. Their stories reveal the harsh realities of life in the camp.
As winter settles on Samos, we’ve been exploring ways to bring comfort to our community. This month, we interviewed our Alpha Centre and Alpha Land Officers, Nicole and Mike, to share what our community centres mean to us and the people we welcome every day.
Read MoreSamos, October 2024.
This article was originally written in German by Gabi Klein on behalf of Cologne Cares.
While at the European level, the topic of asylum is being discussed with a focus on isolation or even suspension, others are focusing on solidarity. An outstanding example of this is the initiative "Samos Volunteers." Since its founding in 2016, this grassroots organisation has supported refugees on the Greek island of Samos with psychological support, informal education, and clothing donations.
We have launched our Choose Your Warmth 2024 Campaign targeted to allow us to cover our costs while operating our highly needed winter clothes distribution to the island's displaced communities. Watch our Warehouse Mini-Documentary to see how the team prepared for winter distribution.
Read MoreThe lack of human rights provisions and material reception conditions provided by Greek authorities to newly arrived residents of the closed-controlled access centre is overburdening local NGOs. The pressure to fulfill these crucial needs and the vital dignity of people seeking protection is unjust, and the EU Commission must hold Greek authorities accountable.
Read MoreAs Frontex marks its 20th anniversary, we reflect on its role in European border management. Once established to promote cooperation and enhance border security, Frontex has since faced serious allegations of human rights violations, including its involvement in pushbacks and border violence in the Mediterranean and Aegean. But how did we get to this point?
Hesham, from Yemen, is a resident of the CCAC and a community volunteer. He has been on Samos for three months and has been attending our English classes for two months, now. He has been excelling in our English classes, currently at our highest level of English, and recently wrote this essay about his experience coming to Samos.
Read MoreAn online exhibition of the voices and artworks of residents at the Samos CCAC, featured in the latest Amnesty investigative report on the inhumane living conditions in the EU-funded refugee camp.
Read MoreWhat is a word? A carrier bag for meaning? A little boat on a broad sea? Is a word just an image or the thing itself? Do words think? Do they feel? Why do some words have two meanings? Why do other words have three? Line up enough words in a row and you have a sentence. String together a few of these and you have a paragraph. Carve away at your paragraph with a chisel and knife and you get a poem.
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