Survivor migrants recall treatment in Greek camp

EDİRNE- Demirören News Agency

Earlier this week, Greek authorities pushed back several irregular migrants to Turkey and at least 19 of them froze death. The survivors of the ordeal have said they were illtreated in a Greek camp and even denied food and water.

Riyaz A., a Bangladeshi, recalled that they entered Greece on Jan. 31 and Greek authorities captured and sent them to a camp the next day.

“They gave us nothing…neither food, nor water for three days…There was a downpour and we did not have proper clothes to protect us,” he said.

Greek authorities later pushed them back to Turkey, he said.

“We took short breaks to rest and finally came across a vehicle and asked for help. We survived but we want the world to listen our pleas. We are human, this should not happen,” he added.

Riyaz said there were Pakistanis, Africans, Nepalese and Afghans in the group he traveled with and they all died.

“We were denied food and water. They had no mercy and they treated everyone the same, regardless of whether you are a man or woman. They stripped us of our clothes, and they took everything, our phones and even our gloves. They sent us back naked,” said Ahmet Mustafa, a Syrian.

Greek authorities beat them and took away all their belongings, including shoes, according to Enver Yılmaz, another Syrian.

“We were 60 people. They [Greek authorities] split us into groups and pushed [us] bank to Turkey. The Turkish soldiers picked us up and brought us to a warm place. They gave us food and even their own clothes and shoes,” Yılmaz said.

Turkish authorities on Feb. 2 had accused Greece of allowing the migrants to die in the winter cold after stripping them of their clothes and then forcing them back across the border.