24.12.2013, The Guardian

Fears over disappearance of 150 Syrian refugees from Greek village

Not much happens in Praggi. So when 150 Syrian refugees arrived in the village, high in the flatlands of far-flung north-eastern Greece, it was not something residents were likely to forget. Some of the Syrians were huddled against the biting cold in the courtyard of the church; others had congregated beneath the trees of a nearby forest. All had made the treacherous journey from Turkey – crossing the fast-flowing waters of the Evros river – in a bid to flee their country's war. Then came the white police vans and the Syrian men, women and children were gone. "Ever since we have lost all trace of them," said Vasillis Papadopoulos, a lawyer who defends the rights of migrants and refugees. "They just disappeared. Our firm belief is that they were pushed back into Turkey." read more

Language(s): Englisch / English
Region(s): Griechenland / Türkei