During yesterday’s NGO coordination meeting, we heard that 4,000 people came to the camp in the last 24h. One group arrived at 11 am and then left the camp after registration by train at about 2pm.
In the afternoon, no refugees were brought to the camp so the Initiative “Welcome” volunteers used this gap to pack the donations and prepare clothes for the new refugees. At the moment, there is a need for warm, winter clothes. It was a peaceful day at the camp today, but it was humid and foggy. A Christmas tree was put up and it will be decorated by many organisations operating in the camp who will decorate it with their logos.
Apart from the International Volunteers Day, the International Human Rights Day will also be marked at the camp on 10 December. We discussed the current situation at the camp with the media from Poland. We also talked to them about the current situation in Poland as regards the refugees and their fears about their arrival.
Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVEP) sent a diplomatic note to Slovenia on Friday protesting against the fence that this country continued to build on the border with Croatia. Croatia is particularly concerned with the fence build around the river Sutla area, Novi Dvor Klanječki, Miljana and Klanjec municipalities that belong to Croatia.
The MVEP is Urging Slovenia to remove the fence that it put on the Croatia territory immediately and without any delays. According to the Dogan news agency, the Turkish security forces arrested around 3,00 refugees who tried to enter Greece via the sea.
Last month Turkey said that it would take measures against illegal immigrants who are trying to enter the EU and would receive 3 billion euros in exchange as well as the possibility to abolish visas for Turkish citizens traveling to the EU. According to Dogan news agency, Turkish forces started this week operations around the Greek island Lesbos, which is a key point only a few kilometres away from Turkish coast. Ankara also arrested 35 smugglers who transferred refugees from Syria, Iraq and others to Europe and charged them for it.
US Secretary of State John Kerry commended Greek government and its Prime Minister for its reforms and announced that the US will give Greece extra 24 million dollars to cope with the refugee crisis in Greece.
On the occasion of tomorrow’s International Volunteers Day we would like to thank all the volunteers who have been helping out during this refugee crisis and supporting them on their difficult and precarious journey.
