EDUC 499: Greece - Summer 2019’s Updates

Refugee Crisis in Greece

In the Refugee Crisis in Greece video, I found it interesting that people from over the world come to help with no benefits. Refugees often face double victimization: first, from the violence, wars and persecution that force them to leave their countries, and second, from the lack of adequate refugee resettlement programs. People come to Greece to find a house and live in peace. In Greece, more than 8,300 people are crammed into a space which, according to official numbers, has the capacity for 3,100. Most are fleeing danger in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Greece had to request assistance from other countries for support for these families in these community. Many refugees learn the Greek language. Undoubtedly, all these educational activities, whether formal or nonformal, are a very positive step towards the gradual integration of refugee and migrant children into Greek society, as access to education is a key factor for their social and economic integration. The most important aspect of the video to me was that everybody is subject to be a refugee various reasons. The legal system should be prepared to offer solutions and support them as many ways as they can. As things are progressing, the resistance is building up. it is important to understand why the Greek situation is relevant for the United States. First, we should never forget that we play a role in conflicts that drive the flow of refugees and migrants into Greece, especially in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Furthermore, both the Greek and U.S. governments have provided flimsy responses to refugee crises. In the short tenure of the Trump administration, the U.S. has overseen major changes to its refugee resettlement programs and gone through several versions of an executive order banning refugee resettlement. In both Greece and the United States, we see an alarming rise in the popularity of white nationalist movements. Without policies and funding to deal with rapidly increasing numbers of displaced people, we fear that we will see a continued rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in the US and in Europe, as well as increasing numbers of hate groups and white nationalists. It falls upon all of us to reject the suggestion that refugees fleeing conflict in their homelands are a threat to the cultural or racial identity of a nation. Rather, we should support and treat refugees with compassion and dignity in host nations. It is important that support come not only from compassionate individuals and organizations, but also from U.S. and EU governments.

  • Derek Patterson
  • Angelica Rackow