Feature: Tear gas can't deter migrants' dream-seeking journey to Europe (Part II)

Liu Yongqiu, Chen Zhanjie

MUCH-NEEDED HELP

The inability of the Greek government to facilitate the transit of refugees is partly compensated by common Greek citizens who offer whatever help they can provide.

UNHCR officials told Athens in July after inspecting the country's facilities for receiving refugees that Greece and the European Union need to take urgent and bold action to tackle the refugee crisis unfolding in the country.

UNHCR's Director of the Bureau for Europe Vincent Cocherel and Director of Emergency, Security and Supply Terry Morel said the reception infrastructure, services and registration procedures are inadequate compared to the increasing needs.

However, the UNHCR officials expressed admiration for the mobilization and support provided by ordinary Greek citizens who volunteer to offer a helping hand to refugees.

Among the volunteers is 33-year-old Amir, who crossed the Turkish-Greek border in 2001 as an undocumented immigrant from Iran. His hardship was beyond imagination as he walked 18 days from the border to the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki, feeding himself with grass and milk stolen from farms on his way.

Not long after being granted a 5-year residence permit several years ago, Amir lost his job in the debt crisis. But this did not prevent him from creating the "refugee solidarity movement Thessaloniki". Every Monday, Amir brings water, food, cloth and other items donated by Greeks and foreigners to Idomeni.

"I could not sleep well for three days after every visit to Idomeni, as all the memories came back during the visit," said Amir, refusing to talk anything about his own family left behind in Iran.

Polyxeni Andreadou, a physician in Thessaloniki, visits Idomeni every two weeks as a volunteer to attend to the medical needs of the migrants.

"I treat 70 to 80 people for every visit, " Andreadou told Xinhua before treating a young lady from Iraq who suffered knee injury.

"One of the most serious cases who needs immediate help is the case that we currently have inside the MSF tent," said Andreadou. She explained that a young woman was having fever of 41 degrees Celsius, but didn't agree to go to the hospital for fear that she might miss the chance to cross the border.

For Andreadou, the saddest moment in Idomeni was in April when she held the hands of a 14-year-old Syrian girl who was blind.

"She couldn't see because of the bomb attacks in Syria," said Andreadou.

CHALLENGES: WINTER AND MORE

One of the major humanitarian organizations operating in Idomeni is UNHCR, which generally assigns three to six staff to provide food, water, information, identification and other support to the 2,500-3,000 refugees who pass through here every day.

For Luca Gvanziroli, team leader of UNHCR in the nearby town of Polikastro which is responsible for the organization's field humanitarian operation in Idomeni, many challenges remain here.

"First, we have to improve the coordination between FYROM and Greek authorities for more free movement. The second challenge is to have a proper transit area for people to wait. The third challenge is to identify the persons with specific needs and give them special attention," said Gvanziroli.

Gvanziroli said the conditions of movement will be worse in winter, because there will be rain and frost.

"We will need the support of the volunteers who already spent all of the past winter here to know how to adapt the response. Generally the number of people crossing is reduced during the winter, but we expect the worst, so we have to adapt our response," he said.

Amidst the worst economic crisis in its history, Greece was called upon to function as a gatekeeper to the European Union, while at the same time respecting migrants' human rights. So far the results were dubious at best, Angeliki Dimitriadi, a research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, said in a paper.

Former Greek Prime Minster Alexis Tsipras, who stepped down late August to force a snap election, underlined that the escalating migration crisis is a critical matter that affects the whole of Europe, not just Greece alone.

Tsipras said coordination with Turkey is necessary, as there are about 2 million refugees in the neighboring country hoping to travel on to Europe. Similar talks need to be carried out with authorities in Syria and Libya.

He said Greece is experiencing "a crisis within a crisis", with the inflow of refugees exceeding the country's capabilities and called for the immediate support of the EU.

UNHCR has called European countries to approach the refugee crisis in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation and to provide those who are seeking safety in Europe with safe, legal alternatives to dangerous irregular voyages.

These legal avenues include resettlement or humanitarian admission programs, flexible visa policies and family reunification, said UNHCR.

Idomeni calmed down in mid-afternoon after the majority of the migrants crossed to FYROM, giving the Greek police officers a break under the shield of trees. Volunteers began to collect garbage left over by the migrants, paving the way for another busy, sad and sometimes volatile day. Endit