Hi everyone! Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement. We have good news from the internet front: we should be connected during the first week of August (which is fast for Greece)! We’re excited to have regular internet access again… and catch up on emails!
Until then, here’s some news from Patras (via the United Nations):
Patras makeshift camp dismantled
Almost 100 officers and riot police took part in an operation on 12 July to clean out and flatten a makeshift camp for irregular immigrants next to the port of Patras, which resulted in dozens of migrants being moved elsewhere. During the operation a large fire broke out in the camp as bulldozers moved in to level the temporary wooden huts that had been constructed by the migrants, mostly Afghans. No one was injured. Authorities said that they discovered 44 minors in the camp. The youngsters were moved to a special centre in northern Greece. At least 15 migrants that did not have official documents were taken into custody at Patras police station. Another 15 that did have the necessary paperwork were moved into a hotel in the city. UNHCR expressed concern over the decision by Greek authorities to raze a makeshift settlement in the western port of Patras that, until recently, had hosted hundreds of would-be migrants seeking an opportunity to sneak onto a ferry to Italy. The refugees were aware of the authorities’ intention to clear the camp and had started abandoning it since April. At the time of Sunday’s intervention, about 300 remained and many slipped out just before police moved in. Following the operation, four cars belonging to state organizations were attacked. A cash machine was destroyed and assailants set fire to the door of a local court.
November 11th, 2009 → 9:06 am
[...] New Patra Jump to Comments In July the makeshift refugee camps in and around Patra were dismantled by the Greek authorities. Despite the governments most ardent desires, these [...]