In 2015, 856,000 people passed through the Greek islands, and in 2017 and 2018 only just under 30 thousand (according to UNHCR). But 2019 brought already a growth – over 60,000 newcomers. Today, boats coming to Greek beaches are back again, and practice shows that you can get stuck in Lesbos for a good few years. Nikos and Katerina run a small restaurant on the island, where every refugee can feel at home and eat a meal for free.
20.06.2024
A refugee I am
Forced to flee, I become someone
I am not
These few lines from a Lao Che song have been on my mind all morning. The World Refugee Day, which we celebrate today, could easily be called World Day of Helplessness, Lack of Solidarity, Fences, Barriers, and Lack of Hospitality.
“In Nigeria, I was a metalworker; here, I am a nobody,” says John. From a pile of random things, he pulls out a plastic chair and a wooden stool for us to sit on. Embarrassed, he explains his hoarding. “In winter, we lacked everything. We barely managed to get wooden pallets to make a floor in the tent so we wouldn’t sleep in a huge puddle that formed in the middle after every rain.”
The flapping tent in a camp on the coast of the Greek island of Lesbos is the background for our entire conversation. John invites me for tea and tells the story of his journey that ended in the snare of European barbed wire.
“I traveled all over the world with my crafts. I had exhibitions in the United States and many European capitals. Once, I even visited Kraków.”
“Where would you like to go back to?”
“Most of all, to Nigeria, to my home, but that’s impossible,” he explains, completely resigned. I wish him that, saying words of comfort. I’m trying to fill the silence in John’s story, in which a tear in his eye has become the main character.
“My work gave me many opportunities. I lost everything when my government forced me to flee. I don’t blame Europe for welcoming me very differently than before. I blame my country’s authorities because they took away my dignity, opportunities, and future.”
Together with you, we reach out to them. Our goal is to restore their dignity. Visit GoodWorks 24/7 and donate at least one warm meal to people who have lost everything.
Four years have passed since our conversation. I don’t know where John is today. There is no trace of his tent in the Greek camp. Now, there are containers where new people—teachers, students, farmers, pharmacists, mechanics, artists, scientists, hairdressers—live under the common name of “refugees”.
Mateusz Gasiński
10.10.2024
Michał Żakowski and Radio 357 have arrived on Lesvos! We’re about to stir things up a bit—because, as we’ve proven many times, that’s what we do best. This Friday at 12:00, Michał will be broadcasting his show Na Dachu Świata (On the Roof of the World) live from Greece. Just tune in! We’ll be discussing how […]
09.10.2024
“Do you see how small they are?” “I see tears in your eyes.” “Because I feel like crying. Olives the size of raisins. The only thing I can think of is to water all the trees. But there are thousands of them. It’s impossible.” Not a cloud in the sky. The heat in Greece shows […]
27.08.2023
The unpaved road stretches for kilometres and winds down the mountainous slopes. It cuts through bone-dry pine forests. From here to Mitylena, the island’s capital, it is more than 40 kilometres. To any sign of civilisation – more than 10. Out of sight, out of mind of all outsiders, a gigantic new refugee camp is […]