Glocal Roots

Navigating Rights: Access to Services for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Shop — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:58:41 +0000

If someone is seeking asylum, it implies they are looking for safety owing to a lack of human rights in their country. But seeking asylum is also about rebuilding your life and having the chance to move forward. Nevertheless, in Greece, the process for asylum seekers and refugees is slow and complex. Each stage presents its own challenges and services which secure a person’s human rights are not always accessible. The basic needs of asylum seekers are therefore not necessarily guaranteed. For those arriving in Greece, the first challenge is registration. Upon arrival, asylum seekers register their request for protection in overcrowded reception centers. In these centres, access to food, medical care, and shelter are technically available, but in reality, refugee camps, especially on the “hot spot” islands, are overcrowded and poorly maintained. Testimonies of some visitors in the Victoria Community Center who resided in the Closed Control Access Camps (CCAC) on the islands of Kos, Lesbos and Samos reveal such depravity: “Food is served once per day, two meals that are not enough to kill hunger. It is mostly premade foods, almost always frozen, and you can wait for one hour or even more to get your portions” “I arrived in summer. The first week we didn’t have a room, so we stayed on the floor with a tiny mattress and a small blanket. The camp was infested with cockroaches and rats.”. In addition, many have to face long waiting periods before their applications are processed. Language barriers are a common factor that explains delays. Since May 2024, the camps do not have enough interpreters, causing delays in the interviews and leaving people in these liminal spaces. In addition, a lack of clear information makes it difficult for individuals to fully understand their rights and there is a reliance on NGOs to fill such knowledge gaps. Once an asylum claim is officially submitted, certain rights of asylum seekers expand. Asylum seekers are entitled to public healthcare and have the right to work. However, in reality, securing employment is often difficult due to bureaucratic obstacles, language barriers, and a lack of integration programs. Education is another right that, in theory, should be guaranteed for all children, but many refugee families struggle to enroll their kids in school due to administrative hurdles and a lack of knowledge in the Greek education system. For those granted refugee status or subsidiary protection, a residence permit is issued, allowing them access to the labor market, social welfare programs, and the ability to travel within the EU under certain conditions. This transition, however, does not always mean stability. Access to government programmes immediately stops, leaving many refugees are left without proper support, struggling with homelessness, inadequate accommodation and financial insecurity. Around 80% of the questions that we receive on our spaces are related to housing, employment and access to NFIs (diapers, sanitary pads and baby clothes). On the other hand, those whose asylum claims are rejected face a different reality, appealing their case in a complicated legal system or facing the threat of deportation, making it crucial for asylum seekers to have access to legal aid and support networks that can guide them through their options. The possibility of forced returns is a constant concern, fearing encounters with police and complete uncertainty about their future. Access to rights is completely denied, since a person whose asylum application was rejected doesn’t have any kind of legal documents and technically does not exist under the eyes of the government. This means that you cannot go to a public hospital, enroll your children in school or access formal work. The challenges at every stage and the lack of adequate mechanisms leave grassroots organizations like Glocal Roots with increasing demand for services. Whether through safe spaces, educational activities, advocacy or the provision of food and NFIs, these efforts are essential in ensuring that people seeking safety are not left behind. In a system that often fails to provide protection, advocacy and collective action are vital. Every person seeking asylum has the right to safety, dignity, and a future. It is our collective responsibility to fight for a system that upholds fundamental human rights.

Europe: A broken promise of a stable – and better – future

Shop — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:55:04 +0000

At the start of each year, we often reflect on what we are grateful for and set our intentions for the future. Some cherish a stable home, proximity to loved ones, or the ability to engage in meaningful work. Others value hobbies, personal freedoms, or simply the sense of security that allows them to plan ahead. Whatever the case, the foundation of what people care about is their ability to choose…

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“They don’t care about us”: Voices from Kos exposing inhumane migration policies

Liska Bernet — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:49:43 +0000

A new report from Glocal Roots highlights the human cost of EU migration policies, shedding light on the dangerous journeys, systemic abuses, and dire conditions endured by people on the move on the Greek island of Kos. The testimonies in the report provide a stark account of the lives of those seeking refuge, often forced into perilous situations and subjected to neglect that strips them of their…

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MEDIA: Schweizer Illustrierte – Von Hand für Bauch und Kopf

Liska Bernet — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:35:28 +0000

Der folgende Beitrag wurde in der print Ausgabe der Schweizer Illustrierten im Januar publiziert. Die bunten Accessoires des Labels Glocal Roots sind nicht nur handgemacht und aus recyceltem Stoff, sie erzählen auch Geschichten von Frauen auf der Flucht. In jedem Etikett finden sich Erlebnisse derjenigen Näherin, die das jeweilige Produkt hergestellt hat.Es sind Produkte mit Geschichten…

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The Importance of Female Friendly Spaces

Shop — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 13:44:31 +0000

The number of people in need of international protection continues to rise. According to the European Commission, there are currently 120 million people displaced around the world. Although three quarters of refugees hail from five countries (Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Ukraine), refugees and asylum seekers must not be treated as one entity and cultural nuances must be integrated into any community building activities. The same approach applies to gender! Women and children’s spaces aim to offer a gendered lens to issues arising from displacement by addressing gender-specific protection concerns.

Racial profiling : the treatment of refugees by the police

Shop — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:46:59 +0000

“No matter how many years you live here, you will remain a foreigner”Fatema, visitor to the Victoria Community Centre*In Greece, racial profiling has become an entrenched issue that deeply impacts the lives of people on the move.For refugees and asylum seekers, a simple walk in Athens can quickly turn into a distressing encounter with law enforcement. “I was just walking to get groceries when the…

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Refugees Continue to Face Violent and Illegal Pushbacks off the Coast of Kos

Liska Bernet — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:42:37 +0000

Separated from Turkey by roughly 5 kilometres of sea, the island of Kos stands at the very edge of the EU’s external border. With the city of Bodrum clearly visible from its shores, tourists are shuttled back and forth everyday in a routine 30 minute journey. Yet as night falls and these ferries stop, the crossings themselves do not. In their place, people on the move in Turkey prepare to take the…

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MEDIA: Tsri.ch – «Was auf der Welt passiert, spürt man auch in Zürich»

Liska Bernet — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:09:55 +0000

Der folgende Beitrag wurde auf tsri.ch im Mai publiziert. Er ist Teil des Fokusmonats Migration auf tsri.ch Publiziert: 28.05.2024 Jedes Jahr sterben tausende Menschen auf der Flucht im Mittelmeer. Inwiefern das auch Zürich betrifft und warum keine Grenzen nicht die Lösung ist, erklärt die Migrationsexpertin und Aktivistin Liska Bernet.Lara Blatter: Wie viel Migration verträgt eine Gesellschaft?

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The importance of Community Spaces

Liska Bernet — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:13:51 +0000

Community spaces are important for numerous reasons – they provide a sense of belonging, social support, physical health, diversity and inclusion and a recreational space to play, meet and socialise with others. So what makes the community spaces in Glocal Roots so special?This month, we spoke to a variety of people supported by our projects in Kos and Athens to find out what our centres mean to…

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The Homelessness Crisis Facing Refugees in Kos

Liska Bernet — Wed, 15 May 2024 11:25:57 +0000

The island of Kos is renowned for its food, vibrant nightlife, and sunny beaches. Sporting coastlines full of swanky hotels and airbnbs, it is no doubt a tourist paradise. But while thousands of tourists are welcomed in with open arms every year, refugees arriving on its shores face a starkly different reality. Beneath its glittering surface, Kos presents displaced people with a uniquely…

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Glocal Roots

Navigating Rights: Access to Services for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Europe: A broken promise of a stable – and better – future​

“They don’t care about us”: Voices from Kos exposing inhumane migration policies

MEDIA: Schweizer Illustrierte – Von Hand für Bauch und Kopf

The Importance of Female Friendly Spaces

Racial profiling : the treatment of refugees by the police

Refugees Continue to Face Violent and Illegal Pushbacks off the Coast of Kos

MEDIA: Tsri.ch – «Was auf der Welt passiert, spürt man auch in Zürich»

The importance of Community Spaces

The Homelessness Crisis Facing Refugees in Kos

Europe: A broken promise of a stable – and better – future