Cinzia D'Ambrosi

Refugee women taking a respite in an informal refugee centre in Athens. Most refugees navigate with food provided by soup kitchens, day centres and if they are fortunate they may have a place to sleep in a refugee centre.

The funeral of Dorothy, an asylum seeker from Nigeria who never received the right to remain in the UK. Dorothy was ill with cancer and died in a London hospital. Southall Black Sisters raised money to pay for her treatment and the funeral. Dorothy was with no recourse to fund and was a victim of violence. She left a legacy of courage and kindness.

The Kalaj family came to England as refugees after their lives in Kosovo were torn apart and had no choice but to escape. I met them in East London. They were attempting to rebuild their lives and adapt to a new country, whilst waiting for the Home Office to make the final decision whether or not they could permanently stay in the UK. This situation meant to be a temporary one, is protracting over time. Years have gone by and their fate has not being decided while their lives keep on being on hold. In the meantime, their children have learnt to speak English, going to school and becoming more and more English. The parents instead live in a limbo or half-existence as they describe it, where they cannot seek employment and live on vouchers given by the government, in a home decided by the same. They pray that a decision will come through soon so that they can go on with their lives. One day, in fact they hope to live normal British lives. Their situation is common to many Kosovo refugees in London.

For many families in Lavrion, a refugee camp about 40 Kilometers from Athens, life is at a standstill. After perilous journeys, painful separations and memories, they are hoping for a better life. The camp is primarily home to people of Turkish and Kurdish origin and many in fact have reached it through a journey that saw them crossing the Maritsa River from Turkey. Some had been in Turkey for a while but the conditions were so devastating that led them to leave again. Families including children were working for many hours, with very little pay, often beaten or maltreated. In light of these stories, it is rather difficult to imagine that the refugee in Lavrion have been suspected to be involved in terrorist activities. The camp has been raided more than once by the Greek police on the line that the occupants may belong to the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front/Party (DHKP/C) and involved in terrorist activities. Continuous discussions between the governments of Turkey and Greece on the closure of the camp and the control of its population is still ongoing.

Pavlos Fyssas, also known by his stage name Killah was a Greek rapper, as well as an anti-fascist activist. He was murdered on 17 September 2013 by a member of the neo-fascist group Golden Dawn.[