Many refugees view Greece as the gateway to Europe. However, since the Balkan route was closed off in March 2016, this situation has changed. Thousands of refugees have been stranded in government centres on the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Additionally, the fear of being deported has been increasing dramatically ever since the EU-Turkey refugee deal was agreed upon. The resulting tensions have lead more and more often to physical confrontations among the refugees. Authorities are overwhelmed with the coordination of the camps, which also lack safety and hygiene. Hundreds of refugees have been brought back to Turkey, among them many Pakistanis and Afghans. Through these means, the EU hopes to prevent human smuggling.
Participating author: Amanda Michalopoulou
Amanda Michalopoulou was born in Athens in 1966. There she studied French Philology and afterwards she studied Journalism in Paris. As well as her work as a columnist for Greek newspapers, she has published several children’s books, several collections of stories and seven novels. After her debut novel ‘Jantes’ (1996, Engl.: “Wishbone Memories”) won the acclaimed Critics’ Award of the literary magazine “Diavazo”, she also received the award of the Academy of Athens for her collection of stories “Bright Days”.