They are holding hands. Your eyes are full of hope, you can see great expectations in them. And a big smile. Your dream has come true: you are flying to Germany.
The first group of unaccompanied minor refugees flew from Athens to Hanover amid the crown pandemic on Saturday and landed at noon. 47 children left hellish conditions behind in the refugee camps on the Greek islands.
These two refugee children (5 and 7) are expected to be from their mother in Germany. They were kidnapped to Greece by the father.Photo: Liana Spyropoulou
Most suffered for months at the infamous Moria camp in Lesbos. Others lived in refugee camps on the Greek islands of Samos and Chios.
Children and adolescents must initially be accommodated for a two-week quarantine in the Osnabrück district before being distributed to the federal states. Most have no relatives, are in special shelters or with host families across the country.
In addition to the fee, two children were brought to Germany: a 5-year-old boy and his sister, who was two years older. They were already living in Germany, then were kidnapped by their father, an immigrant from Iraq, and stranded in Greece. Now they are being returned to their mother.
They board a plane of hope that takes them to a better place: to GermanyPhoto: Giorgos Moutafis
Most of the children are under 14 years old.
The 47 minors who went to Germany are between 8 and 17 years old and come from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Interior Ministry, there are 42 children (under the age of 14) and five teenagers, four of whom are accompanied by younger siblings. Four of the minors are girls.
The story of a ten-year-old homeless boy who was allowed to fly to Hannover is particularly tragic: he was found at a random police check-up on the streets of Kozani (Northern Greece) and remained at the local police station for 45 days. .
The Migration Ministry did not reveal any more about the boy. Only the boy went through a lot. Authorities also mentioned human trafficking.
Immigration policy includes order, but also humanity, Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (70, CSU) told BILD am SONNTAG: “Germany keeps its word and shows solidarity.”
MEP Erik Marquadt (Greens) was critical. He says on BILD Live that “it’s not a particularly high number” given the months of discussions. And: “We have to make it clear that this does not prevent catastrophe.” He explained that the refugees in the camps would be left to fend for themselves.
The so-called willing coalition had agreed to obtain a total of 1,600 unaccompanied children who were particularly vulnerable to the camps. According to the Federal Interior Ministry, at least 350 minors must come to Germany in this context. In some countries, there are currently delays due to internal challenges in dealing with the crown pandemic.
Already on Wednesday of this week, twelve unaccompanied children and adolescents had arrived in Luxembourg. Aid organizations and the Greens had demanded that Germany host significantly more children and other particularly vulnerable refugees from the camps.
All children wear face masks due to the crown crisis.Photo: Giorgos Moutafis
Disastrous health situation
Conditions in the camps on the island and especially in Moria are a health bomb, according to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Around 5,200 unaccompanied children live there.
There are still no crown cases in the island’s camps or among the local Greek population. But one thing is certain: an outbreak could trigger a catastrophe due to poor sanitation in the camps.
Seehofer blames EU countries
Horst Seehofer also knows this: “Greece needs our support: to protect the EU’s external border, improve the situation in local refugee camps and protect the weakest. I hope that our European partners begin to honor their commitments as soon as possible. “
Solidarity of Germany, approved by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He told BILD am SONNTAG: “Especially in times of the Corona crisis, this act of solidarity by the German government is highly appreciated.” For months, he and his government have been promoting greater solidarity within the EU to solve the problem of unaccompanied minors.
Mitsotakis adds: “Coping with the migration crisis should be a European responsibility. We should share the burdens. So today is an important day for Greece, an important day for European solidarity. “
Photo: Liana Spyropoulou
Photo: Giorgos Moutafis
Photo: Giorgos Moutafis