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Refugees in kos


justo7
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So I've recently returned from a holiday in kos where most will know there is a serious refugee issue. I wanted to know for myself without the media spin what was happening there. Everything I learnt has already been said in countless other threads but I would still like to give a brief account of my experiences.

 

The crossing from turkey to kos is roughly a couple of miles, you can see bodrum from kos harbour. The refugees have to sabotage their boats forcing Greek rescuers to come to their aid, that way they officially enter the EU as a refugee. Tents are provided and they are all on the harbour front awaiting a ticket to catch a ferry to Athens. Until then they have to live as squatters crammed into their little tents. The smell of urine and other unsavoury aromas float around this place. An observation I made was most had new generation mobile phones and I know they are expensive bits of equipment. Scattered amongs some genuine refugees were some Nigerians who I approached and asked if they minded me asking some questions. They were looking for a better life and were using this current refugee issue as an opportunity to get just that. I found that quite distressing as I couldn't quite find compassion for this group as I could for the genuine displaced people's of Syria. We talked to a Syrian national who had been working in Germany for the last 5 years but his visa had ran out. That meant he had to go back to Syria to apply for a new one. For him it was not possible as he said he would be killed if he went back. So his situation was he had to exit Germany but could not go to Syria and since he was already in the EU the only reasonable answer was to try to find his long term girlfriend who had recently exited Syria as a refugee. He tracked her to kos after going to two other islands and found her in kos. As he approached her her family made her decided between them or him, she choose her family. So this guy was left in kos, on a bench with his suitcase wandering where his life was going. I felt gutted for him but that was kind of lifted by this guys upbeat attitude and the fact that he was smiling with an acceptance to his present circumstances.

So overall I am saddened that this is happening to human beings and I am saddened that there are people taking advantage of this crisis. I do remember thinking, when I could see most had mobile phones, there are those who cannot afford this trip and have to suffer in their own homes back in Syria.

 

Please, all this is my own personal experience of this situation. I've tried not to judge harshly or be opinionated, if I have, I had no intention of doing so

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Edited by justo7
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Interesting as i'm in Zante and although it's a long way from Kos the locals have told me that some of those islands have benefited from the influx of refugees as some are middle class and quite well heeled thus spend out on proper accommodation and have helped extend the 'tourist season'. The media spin is quite shocking really.

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Interesting as i'm in Zante and although it's a long way from Kos the locals have told me that some of those islands have benefited from the influx of refugees as some are middle class and quite well heeled thus spend out on proper accommodation and have helped extend the 'tourist season'. The media spin is quite shocking really.

 

I did hear that, tbh I didn't explore that one. That would have meant going to hotels and asking people are they refugees. Possibly could have got that one wrong and ended up having some Middle Eastern looking guy/s jump me like

 

Sky news - British guy stirs trouble in holiday resort, lays seriously injured in hospital:001_smile:

 

But seriously, where we were, for what we saw and who we spoke to, it looked more of a strain on resources than a benefit to the locals

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I was also in Kos quite recently and saw the same sort of things as you, although we were staying on the other side of the island in Kefalos (very nice and i would recommend!) so only saw it on a day trip to Kos.

 

The media has a lot to answer for and the way they spin it makes me retch, social shaming if you dont automatically beat your chest and gnash your teeth at the wests inability to simply absorb millions of displaced people.

 

irrepsective of the causes (how far back in time do you want/need to go....) the solution is not to simply open the doors, even if we are force fed a diet of tragic images, or i prefer to call them manipulated left wing propoganda images.

 

Spending billions on in country aid and forcing the region to confront the issues is the only way to go, even that by some standards is to far.....

 

show me an image of a tragic immigrant and i'll show you one of an old person in a care home in a puddle of their own piss and **** cos we cant afford basic human care.....

 

anyway life really does suck for a lot of people, unfortunetely we cant help them all

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irrepsective of the causes (how far back in time do you want/need to go....) the solution is not to simply open the doors, even if we are force fed a diet of tragic images, or i prefer to call them manipulated left wing propoganda images.

 

Spending billions on in country aid and forcing the region to confront the issues is the only way to go, even that by some standards is to far.....

 

show me an image of a tragic immigrant and i'll show you one of an old person in a care home in a puddle of their own piss and **** cos we cant afford basic human care.....

 

anyway life really does suck for a lot of people, unfortunetely we cant help them all

 

Well said- treat the cause and not the symptom.

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