Refugees who have escaped the violence of civil war and ISIS are still not assured of safety, even after reaching Greece. With the closure of the Macedonian border over 12,000 refugees are pressed into a squalid encampment at the Greece – Macedonian border. The camp which was intended for 1,500 people is clearly overrun. The pressure and frustration of being halted after coming so far on a dangerous journey is evident and understandable.
The refugees are now seeking alternative routes to progress into Northern Europe. This demonstrates yet again how walls simply don’t work to deter human movement. Hadrian’s Wall, The Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, and all walls fail to stop the human spirit (take note America). Now refugees are attempting to cross from Greece in to Macedonia via the Suva Reka river. This fast moving river claimed the lives of three refugees on Monday; two men and a woman who was seven months pregnant. Parents carried children on their shoulders and struggled against the water.
It doesn’t seem that we can simply pretend this isn’t happening. A young mother to be who most likely left her middle class home to escape possible death due to war (or ISIS) ended up dying in a European country. Her pursuit of peace for herself and her unborn child has come to a tragic end.
I wonder how many of the refugees that I encountered in the Balkans have made it farther north and if they are in Germany, Sweden or trapped in these camps. Hait, Ahmad and their families just wanted peace and safety. Have they found either?
A Deacon's View 