Refugees reaching Greece after dangerous journey want to leave for other EU countries

Around 500 refugees of Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian origins sheltering in an Athens park say they have no wish to stay in Greece and are hoping to move on to greener EU pastures as soon as they acquire documents.

The drama of the roughly 124,000 refugees that have struggled through the hardships of the journey to reach Greece does not end when they arrive on the country’s shores.

Mostly having made their way into Greece via an illegal and dangerous boat trip starting from Turkey, the 500 refugees staying in tents at the Pedion Areos Park, which is just 20 minutes by foot from the Greek parliament, said they wanted to go to other EU countries as they could not find jobs in Greece and did not want to be transferred to a refugee camp, where living conditions are more difficult.

The refugees staying at the park in their own tents said they did not want to go to a new refugee camp, where the infrastructure works are ongoing, in Athens’ Eleonas district, as the Greek government announced in recent weeks. The migrants said they wanted official documents to be prepared so that they can leave Greece for a different EU country, where they dream of building a better and safer life for themselves and their family.

Speaking to daily Hürriyet, an Afghan national who identified himself simply as Fehim, said they fled their country out of fear of the Taliban and came to Greece via Turkey, adding that they had been cautious to avoid swindlers in both Turkey and Greece..............http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/refugees-reaching-greece-after-dangerous-journey-want-to-leave-for-other-eu-countries-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=86719&NewsCatID=351
10/8/15
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Related:

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• Greece urged to do more to take care of migrants

• Despite economic crisis, Greece must take robust action to address refugee situation (UN agency)

• Le HCR s'inquiète de l'afflux de réfugiés dans l'île grecque de Lesbos

• UN agency boosting presence on Greek islands to deal with spike in refugee arrivals

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