“'I
want my children to live in peace and security without fear, in a
better world,' Faraydun's wife, 28-year-old Nazdar, told UNHCR
visitors. She and her two children, a boy and a girl, are still
traumatized by their ordeal and the killing, abduction and rape of
Yazidis in and around the northern Iraq city of Sinjar.”
“Faraydun
and Nazdar fled their village, Zoraba, when militants started to
threaten the whole Sinjar area, home of the Yazidis in Ninewa
province for centuries. 'I couldn't wait until we were attacked; I
was sure it would happen,' said Faraydun. 'So three days before the
big attack, we left for Dohuk [province in neighbouring Iraqi
Kurdistan],' added the 32-year-old construction worker.”
“...
despite eventually making their way to Greece after an arduous
journey, these vulnerable people still face major obstacles,
including a struggle to make ends meet in the Greek capital and the
risk of detention and deportation if stopped without identification,
which most of the group do not have.”
“The
Yazidis here told UNHCR that one of their group had been sent back to
Iraq despite needing treatment for haemodialysis every three days. He
reportedly gave up his request for asylum and agreed to repatriate
after being told by immigration police that he would be held in
detention for a year-and-a-half.”
“UNHCR
has been trying to highlight the plight of the Yazidis through the
Greek media and spread awareness about their needs. 'The Yazidis are
in need of protection and assistance, they should not be detained,'
stressed Giorgos Tsarbopoulos, head of the UNHCR office in Greece.
'They should be treated in the same way as Syrian refugees, who are
allowed to spend six months in the country, with the possibility of
an extension.'”
“In
early August, they joined a group of about 80 people, mostly Yazidis
but also including some Syrian Christians, and crossed the Evros
River to Greece. Smugglers took those who made it across to Athens in
groups of ten. Those waiting for their turn had to survive in the
woods without food or shelter.”
“...
despite efforts to ensure they have access to asylum procedures and
assistance, all the Yazidis that UNHCR spoke to said they did not
want to stay in Greece. They all want to go to other European Union
countries where they have close family.”
“The
families in the apartment help each other out and they get occasional
help from Yazidis who live in Greece. They all worry about the future
and family left behind. 'I thank God for the safety of our children
and I ask him to save my parents,' Nazdar said.”
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