Greece: Refugees ignore Merz ‘new border policy

For an hour north of Athens, Europe looks poor for two young Somali refugees. For the 18-year-old Hussein and 19-year-old Osman, the dream of a good life ends in the Ritsona refugee camp for the time being behind walls and with an unclear perspective.

The conditions in the warehouse are alarming: black mold in the accommodations, defective sanitary facilities, little more than a trickle comes from the shower. The daily meal ration consists of two bottles of water, a packet of juice, some bread and packaged vegetables. If in doubt, a stove plate has to be enough for cooking, the others have been broken for months – they have been repaired or replaced as little as defective washing machines.

Osman and Hussein have been sitting here for seven months. Your goal: to make it to Germany. But that has moved far away since Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s takeover. The border controls were tightened after he took office. You also talk about that in the camp. “You told me that everything will now be more difficult that there will be new rules in Germany,” says Hussein.

When falling refugees, border controls and rejections are announced in Berlin, the question arises not only at Hussein and Osman: Will we ever come to Germany? “Yes, I’m afraid,” admits Osman. “But Germany is my dream. I want to go to Dortmund or Frankfurt.”

“We came here to have a better life,” says Hussein. “But we didn’t get that. We don’t do anything here and sleep. This is not a good life. We want to go to school and university.” But they couldn’t do that in Greece. That is why he definitely wanted to try entry to Germany and not give up despite the tighter border controls. “I want a good life. I want to work hard and help my friends and family.”

2200 refugees are currently waiting in Ritsona for a decision on their asylum application after they have been brought to the mainland by the numerous Greek islands. Some have been in the warehouse for more than a year – a lot of them minors or young adults without accompaniment.

One of them is Abdullah. His application for asylum in Greece was rejected. “Life in the camp is very, very hard. I have no work, no documents and the food is not good. My family in Somalia calls me and says Abdullah, you are now in Europe, send us money and work hard. But I have no work here.”

He also wants to go to Germany. He heard of the new government new government. But Germany is better than Greece to work. “I have friends who live in Germany and originally come from Somalia. Some of them got a passport, that’s very good for us.” Abdullah gives hope.

Lefteris Papagiannakis, President of the Greek Council for Refugees, also knows that the refugees in the camp are following the news situation. “When the border controls were introduced in Germany, the refugees knew that here,” he says. “And that’s not even a big problem for you, she doesn’t get it because you have to move on anyway.” The new regulations in Germany would not change anything. “If someone thinks people stop moving just because someone walls, fences, fences, ditches, soldiers, drones and cameras: We make life difficult for the refugees, but they won’t stop coming.”

According to the Merz government, the number of refugees went down after one week. But that does not change the fact that Greece is a recipient and transitland in terms of refugees, Germany the target country par excellence. “It is not the first time that Germany is changing its refugee and asylum policy, we already know that. This triggers unrest and excitement in the Greek government, since Germany gives the tone for the whole European refugee policy,” said Papagiannakis.

He expresses criticism of Merz ‘new course: “The question we should deal with is not that we stop it. We would have to have a completely different discussion,” demands Papagiannakis. “I don’t say that there is no problem with migration. But as we manage it, it ensures that the problems we have only arise. This type of politics will not go out well.”

The police union (GdP) also believes that the new border controls cannot be held long. “We can only do this because duties have been changed, the further training of the units is currently on ice and the reduction of overtime has currently been stopped,” said the Federal Police Chairman in the GdP, Andreas Roßkopf, the newspapers of the “Funke Mediengruppe”. “One thing is clear: The police can only maintain the intensive controls for a few weeks.”

Previously, criticism from Poland and Switzerland came: “Germany will let whom it wants. Poland will only let them go to his area,” said Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

If Abdullah’s asylum application is approved in Greece, he wants to walk to Germany on foot. Some would have warned him. “It’s wide and dangerous, but I don’t have another idea.”