GREECE / REFUGEE HOUSING

With the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), an operation to transfer refugees and asylum seekers from warehouse sites to hotels and apartments in northern Greece started this week. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:36
• Production Date: 25 January 2017
• Asset Language: Arabic
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: ASYLUM SEEKERS; HOUSING; REFUGEE CAMPS; REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: GREECE; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 1819909
• Parent Id: 1819909
• Alternate Title: unifeed170125a

Description

STORY: GREECE / REFUGEES HOUSING
TRT: 01:40
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICITONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 17-18 JANUARY 2017, VASILIKA-REDESTOS REFUGEE CAMP, NEΟI EPIVATES, GREECE

Shotlist

1. Various shots, Syrian asylum seeker, Rula Manan packing her belongings
2. Wide shot, Rula leaving the warehouse
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“Since we came here we spend our time worrying. We are scared and tired. We are beyond exhausted.”
4. Wide shot, family warming by a fire in the warehouse
5. Close up, fire in a stove
6. Close up, refugee child by the stove
7. Wide shot, refugee children in the warehouse
8. Med shot, UNHCR staff outside the warehouse
9. Pan right, refugees bringing their belongings to buses
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“How can I possibly describe the difference of where we were and where we are now? We thought this would never happen. The memories of those days will always be in our minds. We had a very difficult time there.”
11. Wide shot, Rula and her sibling entering into their hotel room
12. Med shot, Rula playing with her brother
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“We hope that we will be able to rebuild ourselves and settle somewhere in a house or an apartment. We want to be able to study and get back our old life; because we used to be happy.”
14. Various shots, refugees packing their belongings in the warehouse
15. Zoom out, refugees leaving the warehouse to board onto buses
16. Wide shot, buses leaving the site

Storyline

With the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), an operation to transfer refugees and asylum seekers from warehouse sites to hotels and apartments in northern Greece started this week.

While the majority of people has gradually moved out of the Vasilika-Redestos refugee camp, close to 100 refugees and asylum seekers were transferred from this warehouse camp to a hotel nearby after six months of languishing in difficult conditions.

A moment of relief for 15-year-old Rula from Aleppo.

This abandoned warehouse has been her home for the past six months. Today she and her family are finally leaving the misery the camp behind.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“Since we came here we spend our time worrying. We are scared and tired. We are beyond exhausted.”

Around 1,000 people, families like Rula’s have been living in this derelict warehouse in Northern Greece since June. Daily life has been a struggle.

UNHCR is assisting the Greek government to evacuate warehouse sites.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“How can I possibly describe the difference of where we were and where we are now? We thought this would never happen. The memories of those days will always be in our minds. We had a very difficult time there.”

Rula and her family will stay here while they wait to be relocated to another European country.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rula Manan, Syrian Asylum Seeker:
“We hope that we will be able to rebuild ourselves and settle somewhere in a house or an apartment. We want to be able to study and get back our old life; because we used to be happy.”

The goal is to move everyone out over the next few weeks. Most of the warehouses’ residents are relocation and family reunion candidates and will remain in the hotels while their asylum cases are being reviewed.