Refugees from Iran and Afghanistan stranded in Edirne near Turkey’s border with Greece shared their stories in interviews recorded on Monday, with some of them expressing their hopes that the Greek border would soon open as a result of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s talks with EU leaders in Brussels.
“Erdogan will talk to Europe today then we will see what is going to happen. We will have the good news today,” said Yosef Hoseini, an Iranian Azeri refugee.
“It is not easy. Nights are cold, sun burns in the day. Food is limited. There are three to four hundred men. It’s not easy at all, there is no decent place to sleep but we are waiting,” added Hoseini.
An Afghan refugee, Feyzullah Feyzi, was asked what he thought would come out of Erdogan’s meeting, responding: “I hope they will open the borders, someone said they will be opening the border tomorrow.”
“It is too crowded in there. There are Syrians, Afghanis, there is no place, no toilets, nothing to eat. It will rain and there are no tents. It is too crowded, I have been here for a week,” said Ali Reza, another refugee from Afghanistan.
Two weeks ago, Erdogan announced the government would no longer stop migrants and refugees from entering the European Union through Greece.
While EU leaders are seeking to preserve the 2016 migrant deal with Turkey, which blocked the flow of people to the EU, there is no indication that they wish to open the borders to refugees.
Advertisement