تم تطوير هذه المقالة من قبل جوانا بورفيس، وتوماس ليرو، وإيما سانتاناتش.
كجزء من المشروع الأوروبي "أوكرانيا الآن"، الذي يلفت الانتباه إلى وضع الأشخاص الفارين من النزاع في أوكرانيا، أجرينا مقابلات مع ثلاث نساء يعشن الآن في اليونان: إيرينا وجوليا سي من كييف؛ وجوليا م. من دونيتسك.
The three of them reside in the Serres site, one of the main camps where Ukrainian refugees in Greece are living. They shared with us their experiences of moving to a new country as a result of war, along with their first impressions of Greece.
Following the outbreak of the conflict, Ukrainians looking for long-term accommodation in Greece are asked to submit a request to the dedicated platform of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum. They are then provided accommodation, either in the facilities of Serres II, located in Northern Greece, or in Elefsina, located in the Attica region. Overnight, Iryna, Julia C., and Julia M. had to leave their country and start a new life in Serres.
“The first days at the camp were not easy for me. I needed time to adapt and live in such a place, among strangers of different nationalities”, says Julia C. She credited the members of international organisations operating in the camp who made a difference for her, as they “provided psychological help and support, which made us feel that we were not alone in a foreign country”.
Serres camp was established in 2016 and has a capacity of 1,651 residents. Originally, it mainly hosted people from the Yazidi community, whose homeland was invaded by ISIS in 2014, as well as people who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Today, Iranian, Yemeni, and Ukrainian families also live there.
“Life in the camp has its limitations, but I immediately felt a huge advantage”, explains Iryna, pointing out the useful services available to residents, such as Greek language courses. However, living in this state of emergency has had a persistent psychological effect on her son, who “can’t adjust to living in a foreign country”.
I still miss my home. But I try to live life where I am, I like Greece and its people.
Julia C.
However, not all the challenges are within the camp. Julia C. also talked of the difficulties of navigating a new country in terms of communication and culture as well as bureaucratic hurdles such as opening a bank account or accessing healthcare. Although she lives in Greece, Julia C. still has a remote job in Ukraine and feels connected to her country: “I still miss my home. But I try to live life where I am, I like Greece and its people.”
Julia M. and Iryna have also tried to make the most of living in the new country, appreciating its natural landscapes and food. “My son said he wants to live in Greece”, says Julia M., “The nature, sea, sun, and ancient buildings are all beautiful […] I’m happy that we live here. Greece gave us peace.”
أوكرانيا الآن يهدف المشروع إلى زيادة الوعي في جميع أنحاء أوروبا بشأن تحركات اللاجئين بعد انخفاض التغطية الإعلامية، من أجل تطوير نهج جديدة للتواصل بشأن الهجرة وتسهيل دمج النازحين في المجتمعات المحلية. ويجمع المشروع أربع منظمات على المستوى الأوروبي: Mareena (سلوفاكيا)، وARCA (رومانيا)، وOCC (اليونان)، وOCC (إسبانيا).
يتم تمويل هذا المشروع بشكل مشترك من قبل الاتحاد الأوروبي من خلال برنامج إيراسموس+.
