INTERVIEWS WITH MINORITIES OR REFUGEES 4 TH HIGH SCHOOL OF HERAKLEION CRETE GREECE ELENI PATIRAKI SOCIOLOGIST

1.HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LEFT YOUR COUNTRY? ANSWER: ON THE ONE HAND I FELT VERY SAD AND THAT I LEFT A PIECE OF MY LIFE BEHIND, SINCE A LOT OF MY RELATIVES ARE THERE, AND I DON’T KNOW IF THEY ARE DEAD OR NOT. ON THE OTHER HAND I FELT RELIEVED AND FREE THAT I MANAGED TO ESCAPE THIS PLACE. FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

2. ARE YOU SCARED ABOUT YOUR FUTURE? ANSWER: OF COURSE I AM. I CAME HERE WITH A BOAT CARRYING TOO MANY PEOPLE AND I DID NOT KNOW IF I WOULD DIE OR NOT. PEOPLE HERE TELL US TO LEAVE AND WE HAVE NO PLACE TO GO. THERE ARENT ANY JOBS OFFERS ALSO.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 3. WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO MOVE? ANSWER: WE WERE PLANNING TO MOVE IN EUROPE BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS WERE MORE CALM AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WITH POLITE CHARACTERS SO THEY WILL GIVE US AS WE THOUGHT FOOD, HOME PEACE AND LOVE THAT WE TOOK ONLY FROM OUR PARENTS IF THER WERE NOT HARD AGAINST US.I AM HAPPY BECAUSE I AM HERE IN GREECE, AND AFTER SOME MONTHS I HOPE TO MAKE MY DREAM REAL TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT I COULD REALLY LIVE MY LIFE AND GIVE TO MY CHILDREN A SAFE HOME, IN GREECE OR IN ANOTHER COUNTRY IN EUROPE

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 4. WERE THERE ANY LOSSES DURING YOUR TRAVEL? ANSWER: OF COURSE THERE WERE. YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE BUT THE MOST PAINFUL FOR US WAS WHEN WE HAD LOSE A BABY. BABY S MUMM WAS STREAMING AND CRYING BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE BABY WAS DEAD. WE WERE TRAVELLING WITH A PLASTIC BOAT SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE NOT SAFE.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 5. WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR YOU TO ABIDE BY THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY YOU ARE HOSTED? ANSWER: ALL OF US CAME TO GREECE TO SEEK A BETTER LIFE…. IN ORDER TO ACHIVE THAT, MANY OF US TRY TO FIND A JOB. HOWEVER, WHEREVER WE GO TO FIND A JOB, ALL ANSWERS ARE NEGATIVE. AS A RESULT A LOT OF REFUGEES GET DISSAPOINTED AND IN ORDER TO GET BY, THEY STEAL. I DON’T AGREE WITH THIS KIND OF ACT BUT WE HAVE NO CHOICE OTHER THAN STEALING FROM OTHERS.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 6.WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY? ANSWER: MOST OF US LEFT OUR COUNTRY AND CAME HERE BECAUSE WE LOST OUR JOBS, OUR HOMES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN KILLED DUE TO THE WAR THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS TAKEN PART IN.

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 1. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE GOVERNMENT TO DO IN ORDER TO HELP YOU? ANSWER: MANY THINGS CAN BE DONE BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ENT THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACE EACH AND EVERY DAY BUT FOR THE TIME BEING THE ONLY THING WE NEED IS TO LEAVE US HERE FOR A FEW DAYS TO OVERCOME THE NIGHTMARE WE LIVE AND AS THE TIME GOES BY WE SHALL FIND A SOLUTION TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER.

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 2. HAVE YOU EVER ENCOUNTERED RACISM IN GREECE? ANSWER: FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY SOR OR EXTREME RACISM HERE IN GREECE BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE TURN TO AVOID ME BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER ME A THREAT. THIS IS TOLERABLE BUT IT STILL MAKES ME REALLY SAD, SINCE ALL I WANT IS TO BE ACCEPTED AND HAVE A NORMAL LIFE.

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 3. WHAT PROBLEMS DO YOU FACE AS A MINORITY IN GREECE? ANSWER: TO BE HONEST WHEREVER WE SETTLE SOMEWHERE NEW WE GET NEGATIVE REACTIONS BY THE LOCALS AND ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE TO FACE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS EVERYDAY, SUCH AS FINDING CLOTHES, FOOD AND CLEAN WATER. WE LIVE UNTER REALLY BAD CONTITIONS