The correspondent of "RG" visited a front line of "an illegal storm", nowadays overflowing the European Union, and saw, in what conditions there lives the island which has taken for the last the main wave of unexpected "guests" in Europe.
From the Greek in Varangians
- See the life jackets scattered on a beach and garbage? Literally thirty minutes ago to us the next boat with refugees from Turkey came. By the way, and the Turkish coast - to it only 11 kilometers, - waves a hand towards mountains looming in a haze the taxi driver Yordanis, itself is obvious not the nee Greek.
Yordanis "bombs" p at the airport of Lesbos and in 5 minutes of a driving dividing air gate of Lesbos from its capital - the city of Mitilini, at an official tariff in seven euros impudently takes ten. Thus happy with flow of foreign journalists on the island the taxi driver does not hesitate to place to himself in the car of fellow travelers for an additional fee from among the same refugees - on the road we take aboard worldly-wise yellow "Toyota" of two absolutely young Syrians.
Black-eyed 19-year-old Saleh and his 15-year-old brother Mariz at a 32-degree heat melting air are dressed by p in warm down-padded coats. In such look they floated three hours by the rubber boat filled by 20 people, from the Turkish Izmir on northern part of Lesbos.
- Thank Allah that reached the live! Now we will get over to Denmark or Finland and we will begin new life, - the senior from brothers in tolerable English tells the correspondent of "RG". - Heard that there happens cold, but after atrocities of Islamists in Syria it at all does not frighten us.
- Where your parents, Saleh? And than you will be engaged in Denmark or Finland, after all you for certain do not speak neither in Danish, nor in Finnish?
- the Father with mother remained in Turkey but as soon as we with the brother will be equipped in the European Union, we will surely take away them to ourselves. And I will learn language - for me it not a problem, - the Syrian young man surely speaks. In some minutes of a joint driving on Mitilini's narrow small streets the former inhabitant of the smashed southern suburb of Damascus manages to tell that in Turkey it was impossible to remain it in any way. Say, Turks treat refugees badly and in the afternoon with fire not to find work. But in Europe everything will be on another, my interlocutor is sure, after all "there to us will not allow to be gone".
When Saleh full of hopes with the brother already left the car, I was was going to tell them that the minister of integration of Denmark Inger Stoyberg categorically disagrees on the quota offered by Brussels on reception of refugees, declaring that "we already and so accepted too many".
Gathered, but did not tell - why to force down children from the way chosen by them. Especially, when roads back, judging on everything, already is not present.
the Aegean cemetery for refugees
Mitilini's- the capital of Lesbos - it is literally hammered with tens of thousands of refugees. On the island lives 85 thousand Greeks, but only in two last months to Lesbos nearly 100 thousand refugees got over. And only in one day while the correspondent of "RG" was in Lesbos, escaping from bloody slaughter in Syria untied not without direct support because of the ocean, to its coast, by estimates of the International organization for migration, about 3 thousand people reached.
For the sake of interest I get into the Internet and with amazement I learn that, for example, the USA still granted a shelter to only 1,5 thousand Syrians. In four last years. That is since the beginning of civil war in Syria Washington which with enthusiasm all this time tried to spread "democratic values" in this country, deigned to accept twice less refugees, than landed on one separately taken Greek island within a day! Comments, as they say, are excessive.
Having covered with cardboard boxes from under fruit, refugees sleep on the embankment, here try to hook fish, throwing a scaffold with a naked hook in turquoise waters of a local bay.
who has money, sit in numerous local cafes, with interest glancing at the locals who were slowly sipping the Greek coffee. Others slowly make a promenade on pier and excitedly do selfi against the roofs of local houses stocky and trimmed with a red tile.
I Help to make by p a joint picture to a nice Syrian family. Hafez, his spouse and three beauties of the daughter, looking in a lens, smile broadly. Are happy that for them travel from the destroyed by bombing Aleppo ended safely.
- Somewhere in the middle of the passage between Lesbos and the Turkish city of Ayvalik from which we came up, at the boat the motor broke. Five hours we and about ten more people rowed at pitch night with hands and already said goodbye to life because the boat started being blown off. If not the Greek coast guard, …, - sighs and becomes silent Hafez, darting a glance at daughters.
Knows that the Mediterranean and Aegean seas turned into a peculiar cemetery for refugees - since the beginning of year attempt to reach coast attracting by safety Evsrooyuza ended fatally for 2800 people. But even such "losses on a crossing" do not stop running from war.
- Understand, I never in life would began to put children in the boat and to float at night to Lesbos if on the earth it would be safer, - the father of three daughters claims.
according to my casual interlocutor, now "task number one" for it consists what to buy the ticket for the ferry to the Athenian port of Piraeus. The adult costs 50 euro, teenage - 25, children - is free. Problem that tickets in cash desks are not present - because of huge flow of people everything is bought up for some days forward therefore Hafez with a family should live directly in port and to wait for the turn.
Economy of humanitarian crisis
All hotels are filled with p into Mitilini chock-full. Numerous journalists, staff of bureau for refugees of the UN, representatives of the international Red cross and humanitarian NGO - everything were flied "to work" with the largest resettlement of the people in Europe since World War II. The remains of vacant rooms are swept immediately by Syrians who have money - people should take somewhere a shower and to sleep on pure sheets.
the Local population concerns to visitors very tolerantly though as the owner of a local tavern admits conversation, in school of one now nobody decides to release children.
However, Greeks would not be Greeks if and in this situation would not try to benefit in the developed situation - many local businessmen not bad "heated up" on the humanitarian crisis which has fallen down them. So, near the port the prices on traditional Greek suvlaki (shish kebabs) quickly grew, and quickly oriented businessmen delivered in shops of ton of tents (30-50 euros apiece) which refugees buy up as hot pies, and place directly on streets and in squares.
the Unattractive fact should be confirmedeven to the Greek minister of migration policy Tasiya Hristodulopul which in an air recognized that refugees brought in the big income to economy of the Greek islands." Shops do an improbable turn, sometimes even in the illegal way. From refugees raise a payment even that they need to recharge simply batteries of mobile phones", the official told.
- I have no moral right to argue on the largest humanitarian crisis in economic categories, - the mayor Mitilini Spyros Galinos cuts off on the question "RG" of pluses and minuses of flow of refugees on the Greek islands and, having a little thought, adds. - Really, the damage to infrastructure of Lesbos is huge and is estimated in at least one million euros, after all we should repair the sewerage, electric networks and camp for refugees.
- And where the financial help promised by the European Union "advanced states", including Greece?
- you heard p about awful European bureaucracy? Politicians in EU cannot agree among themselves, and we here are compelled to rely on own forces and volunteers who free of charge cook food for refugees, buy them clothes … Heard that the first 300 thousand euros are already transferred to Athens, but they while did not reach us, - being deeply tightened by a cigarette the town governor speaks. - Therefore I would be grateful for any help from any countries, including from Russia. Eventually that occurs today on Lesbos, the Braid and other Greek islands is not only a problem of Greece and the European Union. It is a problem of all international community!
it is possible, the Greek mayor and is right. Though even it hardly it will argue with that a problem root in the Middle East flaring nowadays created at all "the international community", and the countries some known for all, suddenly decided to get rid of objectionable "dictators" who have become suddenly and to democratize Iraq, Libya, Syria and other states. And that left short-sighted and aggressive social engineering of the West, now and Europeans should disentangle.
the Turkish stream
according to Spyros Galinos, was succeeded to unload in recent days significantly the island, having sent on ferries of nearly 30 thousand refugees to Athens. But others quickly arrive to places left, and in Mitilini's open vicinities of three "the hospitality centers" as here call camp for refugees, places any more do not suffice. In conversation with me the mayor announces opening shortly two more centers - that "the Turkish stream" refugees will decrease in the winter here especially nobody trusts.
is forbidden to be Come and photographedin such centers to foreign journalists - the police does not guarantee safety. But it is possible to visit the fenced port where almost each hour small boats of the Greek coast guard will take the refugees intercepted in the sea.
- Syrians to the right! Iraqis on the left! There is who from Afghanistan? All to throw out unnecessary garbage and to prepare documents, - bravo orders "fresh-caught" in the sea to refugees of people in the civilian and forbids the correspondent of "RG" to photograph his face.
Subsequently it admits that else before preliminary registration of refugees, their photography and removal of fingerprints, visitors pass "blitz screening" from the staff of security services. Information on dzhikhadist probably sent with refugees here treat seriously, though recognize that to catch terrorists in a huge flow of refugees it is similar to a find to a needle in a haystack. And registration, he recognizes, pass at most percent 50 arriving to the island.
on September 23 prime ministers of the European Union countries will gather for the emergency summit for discussion of a becoming aggravated situation with flow of refugees. It is in advance known that Germany will trample down EU Member States to agree on the raised quotas of reception of refugees, and Greece, Italy and Spain will achieve granting big subsidies for arrangement of the advanced infrastructure for reception of people running from the conflicts.
Meanwhile, at Spyros Galinos developed the plan of action. It consists in taking out the registration centers of refugees on the territory of Turkey to the district of Izmir people quietly bought tickets at reasonable prices for reliable transport, instead of fed smugglers with a fantastic sum (one thousand dollars for the person) for a place on shaky inflatable boats.
However, chances of implementation of so impudent plan frankly a little, the assistant to the mayor Mitilini by the name of Marios admits to me. Hardly the Turkish officials, police and army who sell every day to smugglers "time window" for transportation of refugees, will refuse a stable source of the shadow income, the Greek explained and showed me towards the next mooring boat of a coast guard with board number of LS-150. to
it was from far away visible to p as on the deck pressed close to the people each other rescued in the sea, and the boat pulled for itself on a rope their semi-blown-off rubber boat.