Demonstrators
have called for the Greek government to offer safe passage to refugees seeking
to cross over from Turkey. They insist the fence along the border has put
migrants in further danger.
Deutsche Welle, 24 Jnuary 2016
Around 700
people have spent two days demonstrating along the border between Greece and
Turkey to protest the 10.5-kilometer (6.5-mile) fence, which activists say is
forcing refugees to seek more dangerous ways of reaching Europe.
The
protesters urged the Greek government to grant safe passage to the refugees
traveling through Turkey into Greece from Syria and other war-torn countries in
the Middle East.
Human
rights groups say the border restrictions are forcing refugees to pay large
sums of money to smugglers in order to get across the border.
After the
two-day demonstration ended on Sunday, organizer Petros Constantinou said he
and his followers wouldn't give up. "We will never accept this policy
being dictated by Europe's politicians... who close borders to refugees and
force them to risk their lives," Constantinou said, according to the
Associated Press news agency.
The protest
took place about 200 meters (yards) from the Turkish border.
blc/tj (AP, AFP)
Related Articles:
Greek
islander Antonis Deligiorgis, left, pulls an Eritrean woman, Wegasi
Nebiat, from the sea off Rhodes last year. Photograph: Argiris Mantikos/AP
|
Related Articles:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.