Yoga and Sport with Refugees

Building a happier and healthier community through the power of sport and solidarity where our community is in the lead.

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

YSR has made the decision to stop using this platform and account for the foreseeable future. Head over to our IG accounts to learn more about what we’re up to! ⚽️🏀🏐

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

#CeasefireNOW: Join us in calling for the protection of civilians in Gaza and Israel RIGHT NOW. 🚨 

We condemn violence, we condemn human rights abuses and we condemn the g3noc!de happening in Gaz4!

https://t.co/QwtGnTvExy

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

We are so grateful to have received the news that our friend Mortaza is free again after being held captive by the Taliban!

We will never stop to fight for press freedom alongside you!!

[Aleksandra Mostovaja @Aleks_Mostovaja]

With Mortaza's release, light has come back to my world and life can begin again. I am grateful for all the support and for being able to witness how Mortaza's beautiful character has been illuminated through the darkest of times. No one should ever go through this ever again!

[Fenix - Humanitarian Legal Aid @FenixAid]

SHIPWRECK ON SYMI

We are heartbroken by the news of loss of life that once more took place on Symi tonight. Our thoughts go to the families that lost their loved ones and to all survivors of the shipwreck.

https://t.co/zBqMHkmNo9

[Filippo Grandi @FilippoGrandi]

Afghanistan has been hit by two strong earthquakes in a few days: destruction, devastation and death coming on top of a very fragile situation especially for women. We think of those Afghans — they are thousands — who have lost dear ones. It is urgent to step up humanitarian aid.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

Here is the monthly report from September 2023

Arrivals on the Greek islands has skyrocketed, a staggering 966% increase over the last three months.

The drastic increase in arrivals on the Greek islands continues, in the end of August arrivals was up 167%, by the ende of September it had climbed another 99%, up to 266% compared with the same period last year. This can be seen in connection to the fact that since Adriana sank, killing over 650 people, arrivals on the islands have not been forced back to sea in life rafts, but allowed to stay and apply for asylum.

Arrivals on the islands has increased 99% compared to August, and a staggering 592% compared to September 2022. 394 boats arrived in September on the Greek islands, 10.593 people, that’s twice as many as in August, and by far the highest number registered in the last four years. We expect arrivals to continue to increase on the Greek islands the coming months.

Due to the high increase of arrivals, combined with insufficient transfers to mainland, population on the Greek Aegean Islands has drastically increased. Since June population has increased by 270%, highest number of people resident on the islands since March 2021.

Situation is rapidly deteriorating on the Greek islands, population continues to increase in an alarming rate, and are expected to continue to increase throughout the year. Authorities and organizations supporting on the islands are not sufficiently prepared for what to come, winter is coming and population is expected to exceed 20.000 before Christmas.

Some might have the impression that pushbacks have gone down, because pushbacks from land temporarily stopped. Greek authorities have been eager to publish about rescue operations close to the islands, painting a picture that is very far from reality.

While pushbacks on land stoped, and numerous boats were picked up by the Greek coast guard close to the Aegean islands, pushbacks operations closer to the Turkish sea border intensified. Over the last three months pushbacks has increased by 170% in the Aegean Sea.

In September Aegean Boat Report have registered 111 illegal pushback cases in the Aegean Sea, performed by the Hellenic coast guard, 3.396 people, children, women and men, have been denied their right to seek asylum, their human rights have been violated by the Greek government.

Life rafts has once again resurfaced, used as a deportation tool of the Greek authorities. Where these people came from, islands or boats, is difficult to say for sure, but one thing is certain, it’s illegal to leave vulnerable people drifting in life rafts at sea. We will continue to monitor the situation and publish our findings.

15 of these pushback cases was performed by using rescue equipment, 487 people, children, women and men, was placed in 23 life rafts, and left helplessly drifting at sea.

Even do pushbacks from the Greek Aegean islands have temporarily stopped, Greek authorities has intensified their pushback operations in the Aegean Sea, both in scale and violence, as a result, more people are drowning in their desperate search for safety in Europe. In August number of people being pushed back by Greek authorities in the Aegean Sea has increased over 100% compared with July.

Since January 2020, we have registtered 2.529 pushback cases in the Aegean Sea, performed by the Hellenic coast guard, involving 67.910 men, women and children. 805 of these cases was performed by using rescue equipment/life rafts, 20.618 people was left drifting in 1.216 life rafts in the Aegean Sea in the last three years.

For more detailed statistics go to https://t.co/ZyvIhfvRuv. / ABR Statistics.

Support the ongoing fundraiser to keep our monitoring project running throughout 2024

https://t.co/vLJszSwu2m

Thank You for Your Support.

Tommy Olsen
Aegean Boat Report

[I Have Rights. @IHaveRights_]

Reports from people detained and on hunger strike in the Samos CCAC:
"Is this humane? Are these human rights? And now people will resume the hunger strike. What is the work? Why are they treating us this way? Are we negligent in anything? Are we forced to be in prison?"

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

Violent racist attacks have been on the increase in Greece! We must not look away. Call it out when you see racist behavior and stand with the victim(s) - we need to hold together and resist xenophobia rising in Europe! #StrongerTogether

[InfoMigrants @InfoMigrants]

A violent, xenophobic mob assaulted foreigners and vandalized businesses run by refugees and migrants in Limassol, Cyprus' second-largest city, earlier this month.

"We just want to live in peace," a Syrian barber shop owner told us.
https://t.co/A9fZKJduoC

[Panayote Dimitras @PDimitras]

They could have rescued people drowning but did nothing. We’re calling on people who work at the EU border agency to speak out when they witness human rights violations. Urge #Frontex employees to report abuse instead of staying silent: https://t.co/X6IaF7VYjb

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

Here is the weekly report for week 37 2023 from Aegean Boat Report.

People trying to cross from Turkey towards Greece has drastically increased in the last two months, at the same time pushbacks from the Greek islands has suddenly stopped. Pushbacks at sea are continuing, but decreasing, most likely due to lack of capacity by the Greek coast guard.

Camps on the islands are rapidly filling up, the camp on Samos is already 1.200 people over max capacity, Leros has exceeded max capacity and Lesvos is heading towards a population of 5.000 people. According to sources on Lesvos, the military is now setting up tents in Kara Tepe, to be able to house the increasing number of new arrivals.

In one week 152 boats carrying 5.100 people have tried to reach the Greek islands, highest number of boats registered in over 5 years, and it seems to continue to increase. Greek coast guard seems to have given up pushing back boats on the most used routes, especially towards Samos and Lesvos. Only 12 boats were stopped and pushed back by Greek coast guard, 88% of all boats entering Greek waters managed to arrive on the islands, 91 boats in total. Greek border management strategy in the Aegean Sea seems to have collapsed.

An increasing number of people are reporting that the Turkish coast guard are violently attacking them, ramming the fragile rubber boats, beating them with long sticks to force them to stop. These violent reports about the Turkish coast guard was under the EU-Turkey deal a daily occurrence, after Marc 2020 these reports almost disappeared, now they are resurfacing again, a worrying trend, especially for people on the move.

Last week only 280 people were transferred to mainland, with arrivals of over 2.500 people, it’s not very difficult to see that some of the islands will be overcrowded in e few weeks, some already are. It will be interesting to see how Greek authorities will handle this drastic increase of arrivals.

We are worried, that Greek authorities nor organizations working on the Greek islands to support refugees, are sufficiently prepared for what to come. Before the end of this year we could have a population on the Greek islands up towards 20.000 people, this of course depends on arrival numbers, in which is currently extremely high, and the capability and willingness to transfer people to mainland, currently very low.

Greek authorities will most likely not be able to provide necessities to such a rapid growing population, NGO’s on the islands are already trying to fill the gaps, now they will have to fill increasingly larger gaps. Their support on the islands has been crucial for years, now they will play an even bigger role, and will need support far beyond what they are getting today, to be able to support vulnerable people on the move, funding for these organizations must be a priority.

We have registered 12 pushback cases in the Aegean Sea this week, involving 336 men, women and children. Of the 103 boats that managed to cross over into Greek waters, Greek authorities managed to stop and illegally push back 12 of them, 88% made it through and arrived on the Greek islands, a total of 2.551 men, women and children have arrived safely on the Greek islands this week.

For more detailed statistics go to https://t.co/ZyvIhfvRuv. / ABR Statistics.

Support the ongoing fundraiser to keep our monitoring project running throughout 2024

https://t.co/KCnEo5gZi6

Thank You for Your Support.

[I Have Rights. @IHaveRights_]

⛔ Unacceptable Conditions ⛔: Asylum seekers on Samos and Lesvos endure inhumane & degrading treatment, including poor material conditions, poor food, and lack of medical care. We join 22 organisations in calling for an immediate end to these practices. https://t.co/jCCEBidKLe

[I Have Rights. @IHaveRights_]

🚨22 NGOs raise the alarm🚨: Concerning developments in #Samos & #Lesvos where 4,000 asylum seekers have been unlawful detained in inhuman conditions in EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centers
The authorities are unable to effectively manage the increase in arrivals since July

[Gemma Bird 🧡 @gemmakristina]

The appropriation of terms like solidarity into European Union rhetoric enable Member States & the Commission to create an image of standing with & by people. But these policies only ever protect & stand with the States and the institutions, not the people seeking safety!

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

Arrivals on the Greek Aegean islands has skyrocketed the last two months, this weekend alone more than 30 boats, carrying over 1000 people, have either arrived on the islands by themselves, or been picked up at sea by the Greek coast guard.

In the early hours of today we were contacted by a group of 43 people, 15 men, 14 women and 14 children, who had arrived north of Skala Mistegnon, Lesvos east.

After arriving the groups hide in the surrounding area, afraid of authorities and what they might do to them if found.

The group provided documentation on their presence on the island, pictures, videos and location data left no doubt that the group were on Lesvos.

We provided them with the necessary information, so that they themselves could contact local organizations for help. Unfortunately this group arrived in the middle of the night, in a weekend, and non of the organizations are possible to reach at night.

We tried to convince the group that we could inform local authorities, so that they perhaps didn’t have to wait until the morning. They were so afraid of the Greek police, due to past experiences, that they told us not to inform authorities. In this case, there were no reports of medical issues, so we decided to honor their wishes.

We kept in contact with the group through the night, and this morning they tried to contact local organizations again, unfortunately none of the organizations answered, only auto-reply messages, one saying “The phone is operating during the working days from 8.30 to 17.00”, another “You have reached us outside our opening hours”. So vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution, seeking protection in Europe, should arrive within office hours and preferably on weekdays, noted, I will
make sure to pass that on..

After several hours, at noon, they told us that they finally had made contact with a local organization, and that help was on the way. The group, including 14 small children, had then been hiding outside for over 12 hours, let’s be thankful that it wasn’t raining, nor is it winter, yet..

Perhaps people arriving on Greek shores will in time start to trust Greek authorities, but due to years of violence, horrific experiences, this might take a very long time, if ever. Until such time, we should strive to support vulnerable people on the move desperately calling for help, not only within office hours on weekdays, but 24/7.

I know that everyone is trying their best to make things work, but we should realize that there is a huge potential for improvements, keeping a phone operational for refugees to contact 24/7 is one of them.

Support the ongoing fundraiser to keep our monitoring project running throughout 2024

https://t.co/vLJszSwu2m

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

We must continue to act in solidarity and fight for safe passageways and humane conditions for people on the move arriving in Europe!

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

Before first light we were contacted by a group of 17 people who had arrived during the night in Galazio, Samos north east.

This was the first of four groups that contacted Aegean Boat Report from Samos this morning.

After arriving the group fled to the Woods in the surrounding area to hide from Greek authorities, fearing that if they were found they would be illegally returned to Turkey.

They provided documentation on their presence on the island, pictures, videos and location data left no doubt that the groups were on Samos.

We provided them with the necessary information, so that they themselves could contact local organizations for help. The group later confirmed that they had been in contact with a local organization, and that help was on the way.

We were later informed by others involved that the group eventually had been found and transported to the Closed Controlled Acess Center, (read prison), in “Zervou”.

Kudos to all actors involved, their continuous efforts to support people on the move is an inspiration to us all🙏

Support the ongoing fundraiser to keep our monitoring project running throughout 2024

https://t.co/vLJszSwu2m

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

Another month full of activities raging from relay swims to cricket matches and dance parties to mountain races! 🏊🏿🤸🏼‍♀️🧘🏽

In August we truly saw, what peaks we can climb with a motivated, energetic and ambitious team. 🤩

👇Monthly Report
https://t.co/AbPlTebsHm

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

🌍 Ready, set, run for a global impact! 🏃‍♀️

🌟 Are you ready to run with us? Check out our locations for the Global Run 2023! Slide us a DM to join 😍

We will run together and connect through the power of sport and solidarity worldwide!! 🗺️💫

[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

Learn more about our exciting #globalrun happening in exactly one week in many cities across the world! 💪🏽Join us - create a team or join an existing event! More on how to join our website / IG! 🏃🏽‍♂️🏃🏽🏃🏻‍♀️ #funrun #strongertogether #sport #refugeeswelcome #event #register #supportus

[iuventa-crew @IuventaCrew]

Join us in Palermo!

Discussion on the decriminalization of migration and mutual support!

To strengthen our networks, we’ll share information about criminalisation in 🇪🇺 & the Global South, and explore diverse practices of resistance to #DecriminalizeFacilitation

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[Yoga and Sport with Refugees @YSRefugees]

If you are also, tired of the inhumane way displaced people are treated due to European border policies. Then join us and set a sign of inclusion and kindness for a better Europe. Run with us in solidarity on 10/09 and let's be #strongertogether