PRESS RELEASE,MYTILINI – PIKPA‏

http://lesvos.w2eu.net/2012/12/15/mytilini-14-12-12-press-release/

Mytilini, 14.12.12: PRESS RELEASE
Posted on December 15, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

MYTILINI – PIKPA
THREE WEEKS SINCE THE OPENING AND WE STILL WAIT FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO 
COMPLY WITH THE MINIMUM OF WHAT THEY PROMISED

In the last weeks we have seen again refugees arriving on Mytilini who 
due to lacking infrastructures of reception on the island are piled up 
in miserable detention cells or if these were absolutely overcrowded 
they found provisory shelter in parks, squares and public places until 
the moment when the inhabitants of the island attempted to find another 
solution for them.

Three weeks ago new arriving homeless refugees were firstly transferred 
to the childrens’ summer camp of PIKPA Mytilini.

The transfer was a result of the pressure of the local society and the 
worsening weather conditions which followed and which could have had 
tragic consequences for the lives of the homeless refugees.

The Network of organisations and civilians “the village of all-together” 
and a great section of the local society took the responsibility and 
committed itself to support the functioning of this first open reception 
centre from the very moment of its birth.
The authorities from their side committed themselves to ease the 
functioning of the centre.
What did they really promise? Two things:

1. Firstly and mainly they committed themselves to convincing the 
Ministry of Citizen Protection and Public Order to proceed with fastened 
procedures in registering the refugees and giving them administrative 
deportation orders (so called «white paper») in order to relieve PIKPA 
but also the detention cells of the police that are completely unsuitable.
It was from the very first moment clear that without staff, funding and 
in view of the wave of arrivals on the island, PIKPA could only offer a 
short-term solution (2-3 days) of dignified reception.
2. The second commitment that was taken by the First Reception Service 
of the Ministry of Citizen Protection and Public Order, was to 
contribute to the catering and the provision of basic needs that from 
the first moment until now are provided by volunteer citizens of 
Mytilene, the Church and the University.
Where would the Ministry find the funding (that should reach us in 
material and not in monetary form)? From European funds which the 
Service has for exactly this scope and which it has not used until now.
The municipality of Lesvos and the Prefecture of the North Aegean 
recognized that what we are asking for is really needed, constituting 
prerequisites for the viability of the project and the non-exhaustion of 
local resources that are offered with so much generosity to the fellow 
people in times of crisis. They promised to do whatever was in their 
hands to help immediately.

Three weeks later refugees – including many small children and even 
newborns with urgent needs – continue arriving at PIKPA being in a very 
bad state suffering from the cold and rain.

Three weeks later volunteers continue offering exceeding their powers 
and not simply substituting the state but ultimately acting within a 
huge gap created by the state apparatus in this area, which threatens 
the refugees, the people who choose to stand beside them but also the 
whole of our society, thus contributing decisively to the development of 
fascist formations.

Three weeks later the police directory blocked by instructions from the 
Ministry throws the ball of the responsibility for the care of these 
people and their safe stay to us – even for an unspecified period of 
time. Desperate we rush to meet the growing needs while authorities 
continue to apply the same cumbersome bureaucratic practices.

Only that neither the refugees’ lives nor the efforts of our fellow 
citizens who have taken immediate action in this desperate situation 
which has been created by the deadheartedness of the state apparatus can 
be encountered with bureaucracy.

In this moment where the citizens are supporting an effective solution, 
the authorities have to finally respond openly. Will they support the 
effort or will they insist on an absurd, inadequate policy measure of a 
criminal indifference and on the continuance of the degrading and 
inhuman detention and misery of people who first of all require would 
protection.

We remind them: You don’t have the refugees in front of your eyes as 
they have been a few weeks ago when they were sleeping in front of the 
theatre of the municipality of the town. Now they are here with us and 
we demand you to respect our efforts, our investment of time, our offer 
but first of all our decision not to allow people arriving in our home 
to get into this misery, to be exposed to the racist violence and 
fascism that is threatening all of us. We have stood solidary to our 
fellow people and we will not stop doing everything that is in our hands.

If you don’t decide to take the needed measures in order to protect the 
– until now – successful effort of PIKPA, our effort will be in danger 
and its’ end might be inevitable.

We will not risk the lives of the refugees nor the effort of so many of 
our fellow citizens. We therefore want to clear towards all directions 
that we will leave PIKPA within ten days if our demands that we 
expressed from the very beginning for the continuance of our effort are 
not answered. We are drawn to this decision with a feeling of 
responsibility and respect towards the refugees who will have us by 
their sides in any way.

You will find yourselves again confronted with the old problem, again 
testing your humanity. In this case you should be ready to take on your 
responsibilities towards all of us but mainly to find solutions for this 
new humanitarian crisis that your deadheartedness will produce once more.

“The village of all-together”

lesvos.w2eu@yahoo.gr

Bron : Marily