Refugee camps

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

What will happen to the people in refugee camps in Europe? This virus will spread throughout the camps there, surely? Will they isolate within the camps?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

It's going to be a further level of hell for them.

[EasterEggz]

Awful. The most vulnerable aren't even really being discussed eg rough sleepers in this country.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

Its is going to be horrendous. I hope they are not abandoned.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

yes, rough sleepers too. I wonder if they could put up something makeshift for them?

[buttermilkwaffles]

There aren't many refugee camps in Europe, Moria on Lesvos is one but proper tented refugee camps with large numbers are almost all in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon etc.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

@buttermilkwaffles


they will still be affected though, won't they? I get your point though.

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

Refugee camps are hideous as it is. There are two on Lesvos and one on Samos which have less than adequate facilities, to put it politely. Moria was built for 3000 and there's 19000 people there now because they can't move on. Basic sanitation at best. MSF staff are appalled at the everyday conditions as it is.

It will be horrific if the virus takes a hold in these places.

Homeless in this country probably won't fare much better.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

I've just looked them up on a map. They are so close to Turkey how come they are Greek? What happened there, anyone know?

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

I've just looked them up on a map. They are so close to Turkey how come they are Greek? What happened there, anyone know?

Nothing happened,they’ve always been Greek.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

Never conquered under the Ottoman Empire?

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

Well they’ve sort out f been Greek, but only officially joined Greece late.

The ottomans weren’t too bothered, they had bigger fish to fry, but of course now that’s different and there are all sort of disputes.

There is no love lost between the two countries.

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

All of Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire. Most of the country became independent after 1821 war of independence, some islands took longer. Lesvos became Greek just before WWI but was culturally Greek ie language and so forth.

There were also many "ethnic Greeks" in Turkey and vice versa until the early 1920s when after the Greco Turkish war, these populations were swapped. Aristotle Onassis was actually born in Turkey.

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

Oh and Kemal Ataturk, reforming post Ottoman President, was actually born in Greece to a Turkish Muslim family. He moved to Turkey when he went to military school. The countries were very intertwined.

[Rhubarbpeony]

You learn something every day! Thank you for the impromptu history lesson!

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

I've been interested in Greece and it's history since I was 11.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

@Starbucks

Thanks. When I saw the map and how close the islands were to Turkey it seems strange that they were Greek. So, pre Ottoman culturally they were always identified as Greek? How come? Ancient Greece?

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

Or was there just a much closer mingling of Greek/Turk identities across the whole of that space?

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

Well, ancient Greece of course and there were Greek colonies in Asia Minor (west coast of modern Turkey) from way back and I guess there was a flow of people between the two countries during the hundreds of years of the Ottoman Empire. Ethnic Greek probably meant Christian as opposed to Muslim. Onassis's family had lived in Turkey for generations but I have read that his grandmother spoke no Greek at all.

I also understand that many Greeks on the mainland didn't consider the "Asian Greeks" such as the Onassis family to be "real" Greeks.

[Purplewhitelie]

This has been on my mind too.

This one of the many reasons I’m saying slow the spread.

It makes it more manageable and enables better humane treatment.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

@Starbucks

Cheers - all very interesting. Have only visited Thessaloniki which was beautiful and Istanbul (and did the trip across to Asiatic part) would love to explore Greece more.

[Allaboardthemagicbus2020]

@Purplewhitelie

Yes. I also would imagine that they are relying on the young and strong to enforce much good practice in the camps to abate cholera/etc as those will spread easily. So, large numbers of already vulnerable people in poor conditions.

This really hit me last night as I was able to put the heating on and clean my room.

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

Allaboard

Toilet and washing facilities in camps are limited at best. The link below is over a year old but I doubt it's improved much.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greece-refugee-camps-aegan-oxfam-migration-lesbos-a8536321.html

Not getting at Greece in particular, I just don't know what's happening elsewhere.

I imagine if the virus gets into somewhere like Moria, it will be horrific.