#WHAT ABOUT INTEGRATION? Human stories
Abbas from Iraq, Saiyan from Syria and Zoi from Greece, reveal through their stories the exclusion and the lack of integration that migrants and refugees face everyday in Greece of 2017.
On the occasion of these stories, amongst others we hear every day, we ask ourselves: Do we want integration or exclusion, as a society?
We address this question to everybody, since social cohesion is someting that should concern all of us. The Greek Forum of Migrants has been struggling for years towards the effective integration of migrants and refugees in the greek society. The exclusion of either people or groups, causes many problems in any society. The elimination of exclusion and the integration of refugees and migrants into the greek society, is a matter that concerns us all, it`s a matter of social cohesion.
So, what about integration?
#01 BAN OF MARRIAGE? Saiyan from Syria managed to find a job as a translator in a refugee accomodation center. Despite the great difficulties, she acquired social security and tax record number (AMKA, AFM), and that gave her great pleasure. At the end of the first month, with instructions from the center`s accountant, she goes to the bank, with all the necessary documents and she opens her own payroll account. It`s a matter of days to get paid her first salary. Next day, she is informed from the bank that based on a new regulation, she has to close down the bank account. The international protection applicant card (triptycho) is #not recognised as an identification, she should have a passport, and Saiyan doesn`t have one. Now what?... What can she really do? Saiyan, with great regret, is forced to stop working until a solution is found. She came from Syria... seeking for freedom, but now feels like a hostage.
#02 WITHOUT ACCESS TO BANK ACCOUNTS? Saiyan from Syria managed to find a job as a translator in a refugee accomodation center. Despite the great difficulties, she acquired social security and tax record number (AMKA, AFM), and that gave her great pleasure. At the end of the first month, with instructions from the center`s accountant, she goes to the bank, with all the necessary documents and she opens her own payroll account. It`s a matter of days to get paid her first salary. Next day, she is informed from the bank that based on a new regulation, she has to close down the bank account. The international protection applicant card (triptycho) is not recognised as an identification, she should have a passport, and Saiyan doesn`t have one. Now what?... What can she really do? Saiyan, with great regret, is forced to stop working until a solution is found. She came from Syria... seeking for freedom, but now feels like a hostage.
#03 WITHOUT HEALTHCARE? Zoi is a nurse. She monitors more than 160 refugees with serious health problems (quadriplegia, AIDS, severe disability, etc.). Zoi helps them cope with their every day living, she helps them feel and live better. Until recently, incidents that could not be served by the health center where she works, were referred to hospitals. Zoe went along with the patients to the KEP public centers, in order to give them social security number AMKA and then she accompanied them to the hospital for care. One day, an employee of KEP center informs her that refugees can not acquire AMKA. Colleagues from other refugee centers confirm the same incidents: the refusal of the administration to implement the law. Zoi is in despair, she can no longer help any of these 160 refugees and these people are left without any healthcare. She thinks that these sick people traveled... seeking for freedom, but now feel like hostages.
