Day 5 - Circle of Friends

Just under three kilometers outside of Mytilini – the main town of the island of Lesbos – is the Kara Tepe Camp (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%BCchtlingslager_Kara_Tepe).

It is currently the only remaining refugee camp on the island. In the years 2020/21, the camp reached its peak occupancy with around 7500 refugees and migrants. Since then, the occupancy numbers have continuously declined due to stricter controls by Greek and Turkish authorities and the resulting shift in smuggling routes. Currently, about 1700 refugees (mainly from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Somalia, and Eritrea) are accommodated in Kara Tepe. It is a state-organized and controlled camp by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. The refugees are housed according to their group affiliation (families, single women, unaccompanied minors, young adult males, etc.) in – partly – air-conditioned containers as well as in un-air-conditioned Relief Housing Units (RHUs) or large tents. Besides the aforementioned ministry, which provides camp management and is mainly responsible for accommodation and catering, only a few humanitarian NGOs are allowed and active within the camp. The reasons for this are that obtaining permission to work within the camp involves high bureaucratic effort and costs. Consequently, the majority of humanitarian NGOs active on Lesbos have settled in the vicinity of the camp and in the city of Mytilini.

About 1.5 km on foot from the camp, on a small hill above the site, is the “Paréa Center Lesbos”, which until 2022 was also known as “One Happy Family Community Center Lesbos”.

Under the name “Paréa” (Greek for circle of friends, community), 11 other NGOs have currently joined and settled on the grounds of a former warehouse under the leadership of the NGO “EuropeCares” (https://www.europecares.org/parea) to offer the refugees from the camp an open yet safe place where they can stay without fear and access various services as needed.

Permanent offerings include a laundry, a cafe, a lunch distribution (since the meals in the camp are reportedly of questionable quality), medical, psychosocial and psychological care, a repair workshop (bicycles, clothing, electronic devices, furniture, etc.), a safe space for women and children up to 5 years old, language and computer classes, a computer room, sports and leisure activities, a clothing distribution, hygiene kits distribution, a free shop, and a community garden.

These offerings are supplemented by NGOs from outside the center, which are present on specific days of the week with services such as legal advice, interview preparation, or housing placement.

All these services are necessary because they are not or only inadequately provided to the refugees by state authorities within the camp.

During our visit, we were accompanied by Abi Russel (EuropeCares Field Coordinator Paréa Center), Joaquín O'Ryan (EuropeCares Communication Coordinator), and Arno Tanner (EuropeCares board member, volunteer coordinator, and recruiter from A.R.). They provided us with insights into the work of the individual NGOs at the Parea Center and shared their current challenges. Besides a few international and local permanent staff from the participating NGOs, the operation of the Paréa Center can only be maintained with the help of 15-20 volunteers. Half of these volunteers are so-called Community Volunteers, i.e., refugees from the camp. The other half consists of so-called Visiting Volunteers – mainly students and young professionals from various EU countries who commit to working at the Paréa Center for at least 8 weeks.

The current biggest challenges for the sustainability of the center are the uncertain financial situation due to declining donations, fluctuating numbers of refugees arriving in Lesbos, recruiting volunteers during the winter months, and last but not least, the planned new refugee camp in the center of the island. For a relocation, it would become impossible for the refugees to continue to access the Paréa Center quickly and with little effort.

With the Paréa Center, the participating NGOs, staff, and volunteers have managed to create an incredibly inviting, friendly, and valuable place with very simple and limited means, but with much creativity and passion, which currently serves as an important contact point for 230-250 refugees daily, offering them appreciation, safety, and support.

Many thanks to the Paréa Center team for your time and the opportunity for our visit. We wish you all the best for your future and that of the Paréa Center – whether with or without A.R. 😉

Since we had some free time before our next appointment in the evening, and because, according to a prominent Greek refugee activist (see below), one must always appreciate and cherish the beautiful things, especially in the face of the terrible, a large part of our group decided to take a short dip in the still quite cool Mediterranean in the afternoon. It was lovely!

Towards the end of the day, we had the opportunity to meet Efi Latsoudi for dinner. The Greek psychologist came to Lesbos in the early 2000s and has since been active on the island as an activist for the rights of refugees. Due to her many years of experience and as a co-founder of the NGO “Lesbos Solidarity” (LESOL - https://lesol.gr/), which supports refugees in various ways, she is one of the most important advocates for the concerns of refugees on the island of Lesbos and far beyond.

We sincerely thank her for finding the time to share her expertise and experiences with us despite her busy schedule. All the best for Efi Latsoudi, her peers, and Lesbos Solidarity.