They come from all over the world; fleeing persecution, wars, and famine. Many endure dangerous trips to touch Greek soil from which they hope a better life can begin, albeit in Greece or somewhere else in Europe. Already in 2008, Greek authorities have intercepted 11,000 migrants. A report from a Bulgarian paper stated that nearly 116,000 illegal immigrants have entered Greece this year alone. That number is astounding. And then there are increasing stories of those who don't make it; those who meet danger and sometimes don't finish the journey.
18 Immigrants killed in Road Crash on the way to Greece
Four immigrants killed from mine on Greek border
18 bodies wash up on Aegean Shores after immigrant boat sinks
These immigrants are washing up on shores and ports all over the country, and it seems that now no one town or island is immune to it. A great article (in the form of a PDF file) in Athens Plus has a detailed map of where immigrants have been caught so far this year. The top five locations in Greece where immigrants have been intercepted and have been detained are:
1. Samos - 2,850 immigrants intercepted
2. Lesvos - 2,700 immigrants intercepted
3. Leros - 2,668 immigrants intercepted
4. Patmos - 1,420 immigrants intercepted
5 Symi - 203 immigrants intercepted
While Greece is trying to cope with the influx as best as she could; it is getting to the point where it is getting nearly impossible to manage. The WHOLE EU should look into ways to stop the flow of immigrants onto the continent and if they do reach EU soil, to help take care of those who need help. The top three sources of immigrants into Greece come from the some of the roughest countries in the world; Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia; where wars have taken their toll.
Many of us who are reading this are a part of a diaspora because our parents or grandparents left Greece for various reasons. Do you think Greece should be doing more to help this immigrants or should it be more of an EU commitment? Does Greece shut its borders? Or open up the flood gates?
posted on Thursday, October 16
KATERINAM... ...So yes my parents came to Australia in seek of a better life to, ( as did hundreds of thousands of other Greeks, Italians and other Europeans at the time), and I too wish there was a way to help all these people who desperately seek a better life but Greece shoudl not be stuck with the burdeon of the world's problems. Go to these countries, help the poeple there rebuild their lives, and only the can we start to really get to the core of the problems. EU get your act together, or in 50 years Europe will look like a whole different continent.
haniotisa... ...I have great admiration for those wanting to pursue a better life for themselves and their family. But when is enough, well, enough? America welcomed large influxes of migrants from all over the world because we had the land mass, the natural resources and industry to accommodate a large population. Greece does not.
Greece is heavily reliant on tourism for its income and employment and during the off-season jobs are scarce. This is not only a problem for Greeks but for the immigrants as well. Many immigrants are taken advantage of because, out of necessity, they will accept ridiculously low wages from employers who will not hire Greeks who would demand a fair wage.
I don’t believe the solution lies in Greece trying to enforce stricter border control, as you have reported of the many that have died in trying to enter Greece. Nor do I think that Greece should strain their national economy, especially in a time like this, by offering welfare to immigrants, which would only be a band-aid on the problem.
I believe the EU as a whole should look into options for helping and giving tools to struggling countries to be able to support their own population.