Apart from their fair request for direct provision of asylum and travel documents, these people have huge needs in terms of accommodation, food, health care, etc. Hundreds of Syrian refugees reside in hotels (as a stopgap solution), not in good conditions , being under the responsibility of the Greek government and Athens’ mayor. We can also report that food supplies for the above refugees are οbtained from charities and solidarity movements. Other Syrian refugees (even families with small children) live in parks, under dramatic circumstances. For thousand Syrian refugees, the right of decent recindency and decent work is an elusive goal.
The massive influx of Syrian refugees will continue to take place in Greece, taking into consideration that, in neighboring Turkey, there are 1.5 million Syrian refugees viciously displaced by war, seeking to pass the borders of Western Europe.
Social organizations in Athens (neighborhood assemblies and social centers) have taken the initiative to host the Syrian refugees. For these organisations, this initiative makes up unsustainable financial costs. As a Libertarian Syndicalist Union, we decided to support this effort.
Therefore, we make an appeal to syndicalist unions, social movements and workers of all countries, in order to financially support our effort. ΕSE Athens’ mutual fund is insufficient to respond adequately to this initiative.
Any financial support can be deposited
in the below account of Piraeus Bank :
5087-070937-715
ΙΒΑΝ: GR86 0172 0870 00508707 0937 715
BIC: PIRBGRAA
Libertarian Syndicalist Union (ESE Athens)
———————————————————————————————————-
In solidarity with the Syrian refugees
The civil war in Syria is another example of the contemporary capitalist paradise, a paradise of globalized markets and bosses. According to U.N., war casualties have reached 100,000. The brutality of the Assad regime’s policy, along with the deepening, foreign involvement in this ongoing massacre (e.g. Islamic State extremists), forces Syrian people to become refugees. The use of cluster bombs in populated areas and the atrocities against civilians, prisoners, war opponents leave no margin for survival, leading to violent uprooting.The imperialist nations involved are jointly responsiblie for this uprooting and exile, by playing undermining, political games on the backs of the people, Syrians and Kurds in this case.
Equally shared responsibility for the wars in the Middle East and Africa has the Greek state, which participates in NATO and serves the imperialist plans of the great powers. The Greek state supports interventions, «humanitarian» wars and the complete dissolution of modern countries. The Greek army joins in the military occupation of many countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Africa. Consequenty, the Greek state is co-responsible for the uprooting of people, abandoning their homes under the threat of bombs, occupation, poverty.
One million Syrian refugees have resorted to neighboring countries, about half of them are children. Displaced people inside the Syrian borders are estimated to be 3,6 million, while thousands continue to cross the borders. This is one of the highest, modern, mass migration waves, all victims of war in Syria.
EU member states and the Atlantic superpower (USA), which carry the bloodstained burden of responsibility for this relentless slaughter, also continue the war against refugees from within. Those who manage to escape the fences,survive from mines and murderous attacks on the borders, are kept under a regime of constant illegality,by not granting them any political and social right.
Some hundreds of Syrian refugees (including men, women and children) have given a heroic fight,for 26 consecutive days, in Syntagma Square, demanding the obvious thing from the Greek state: asylum, along with full rights as victims of war and free migration in the EU. The Syrian refugees who participated in this difficult fight, won a significant victory. The Greek government pledged to grant them asylum and travel documents, with a procedure of emergency. This victory of the refugees is a result of their determination and the massive solidarity movement, which was unfolded. Their victory represents a victory of the whole social movement.
We have no trust in the Greek state, both central and local (Municipality of Athens), that will meet their commitments.We do not forget the failure of many commitments of the Greek state,which was given towards immigrant hunger strikers in the building of Hypatia, few years ago. Moreover, the anti-immigration policy of the Greek state is omnipresent. The immigrants are considered as a national problem,not as people with problems. Indicative of the anti-immigrant state policy is the violent «sweeping» of the Syrian refugees-protesters from the Syntagma Square. The Greek government and Mr. Kaminis pursued to get rid of the continuous protest as fast as possible.
We support the fight of Syrian refugees to meet the commitments they won with their hunger strikes.
– Asylum for war victims.
– Free migration towards the EU member states. Greece should not be a «prison» for refugees.
– Αccomodation, food, health care, work, rights to refugees.
We will contribute to the effort to meet the needs of refugees living in hotels, in several city areas as well as in the occupation of the Radio Station building in Brahami.
The fight continues until the vindication of all war victims . 603 refugees only have won, thousands are waiting to be vindicated.
Libertarian Syndicalist Union (ESE)
—
Ελευθεριακή Συνδικαλιστική Ένωση – Διεθνείς Σχέσεις
Unión Sindical Libertaria – Relaciones Internacionales