There are always people making profit out of misery. This is the case with refugees. While some suffer, others profit: while refugees decided to leave Afghanistan (or not to return after spending the last 10, 20, 30 years in Iran or Pakistan), smugglers are experiencing a boom. As a crossroads between Europe and Asia, Greece… [Read more…]
December 14, 2011
Hate crime is an ugly, ugly thing. And while it is certainly not the norm in Greece, hate crimes against foreigners (including asylum seekers) have escalated in 2011. Human Rights Watch is documenting some of the difficulties here in Greece. In a report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch found… Victims of racist violence… [Read more…]
November 3, 2011
As new migration crises emerge in the Mediterranean basin and as Frontex’s responsibilities expand, there is an urgent need for a shift in EU asylum and migration policy from an enforcement-first policy to a protection-first policy. This is not only legally required but is a worthy and achievable approach for the EU, its agencies, and… [Read more…]
March 2, 2011
Pray for Pakistan. Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti has been shot dead by gunmen who ambushed his car in broad daylight in the capital, Islamabad. He was travelling to work through a residential district when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets, police said. Mr Bhatti, the cabinet’s only Christian minister, had received death threats for… [Read more…]
January 24, 2011
Thanks for your continued love, prayers and support. God is changing live and even the future of nations from right here in Athens… all to His glory! And you are a part of it. Thank you! Would you spend a few minutes now and pray? Pray for our family – safety, health, growth. Pray for… [Read more…]
January 4, 2011
Greece is desperate to find some way to control the influx of immigrants and asylum seekers. The UN reports that almost 40,000 “irregular migrants” arrived in Greece (via Turkey) in the first 11 months of 2010 – that’s compared to 7,500 over the same period in 2009! It’s estimated that around 90% of all illegal… [Read more…]
November 10, 2010
Please pray for Greece. There is a lot of frustration and tension here. Violence against immigrants is becoming more prevalent. Here’s a recent example. Racist attack against migrants in Aghios Panteleiomonas 10-15 members of the far right group “Golden Dawn” attacked migrants on Tuesday (9/11) in the streets of Aghios Panteleiomonas. The attack began at… [Read more…]
October 4, 2010
I love Greece, but its treatment of refugees and illegal immigrants is shameful. As the article below asserts, this isn’t simply a matter of failed immigration policy, it speaks to troubling problems with the state itself: “it is proof of our society’s collapse.” Wow! Please check out the article below – notable for it’s… [Read more…]
August 19, 2010
They are easy to spot. They look desperately tired. And dirty – like they haven’t changed clothes in weeks. Even in a crowd, they look alone; it’s almost as if you can see the despair settling into their eyes and the burden of worry loading down their shoulders. The swell of new refugees and immigrants… [Read more…]
March 31, 2010
Current European law – the Dublin II Regulation- makes it nearly impossible for asylum seekers to have a fair hearing. The law stipulates that a refugee must apply for asylum in his/her first country of entry (in the EU). This effectively does two things: (1) First, it protects the wealthy nations of Northern and Western… [Read more…]
March 22, 2010
I recently stumbled across this article in the Greek news. In short, monies designated for migrant repatriation (sending refugees/immigrants home) has been scandalously hard to use. It’s either stolen or lost in a bureaucratic nightmare. Hundreds of undocumented immigrants who want to return to their native countries are unable to do so due to the… [Read more…]
March 8, 2010
When I was sixteen, I could count my troubles on one hand. More and more Afghan teenagers, however, due to the sheer desperation and violence that continues to haunt their homeland, resort to a dangerous journey through deserts, over seas, and into nameless, foreign cities. Please take five minutes to let BBC news walk you… [Read more…]
February 10, 2010
As I’m sure you’ve seen in the news, Greece is in quite the pickle! It’s economy is sunk; it’s workers are striking; and all the while Greece is playing host to tens of thousands of refugees. Please continue to pray for this nation! Here’s a recent article from the BBC (read the entire article HERE):… [Read more…]
January 18, 2010
Right now we’re seeing scores of refugees from Afghanistan here in Athens: men, families, even unaccompanied minors (i.e. kids on their own, some as young as 12 years old). Although five million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, millions of Afghans still wander outside of their homeland (2.6 million in Pakistan and Iran alone). … [Read more…]
December 9, 2009
There is a garbage collectors strike in Athens! And yes, it stinks! Things aren’t too bad near our house, but in a few days we probably won’t even be able to get into our ministry center. We’ll have to shovel a clearing. You may be shoveling snow… but we’re shoveling trash! Be thankful. Here’s a… [Read more…]
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January 20, 2012
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