176 – Field Trip to the Athens Asylum Center

Dr. Sandie Morgan and Dave Stachowiak discuss Sandie’s recent visit to an asylum center in Athens, Greece. They shed light on the challenges for refugees to receive asylum and the continued hardships of integrating into a new culture. They also discuss how asylum seekers are causing challenges for the country itself. Key Points Greece's geography, proximity, and of course being adjacent to the ocean makes it the country of destination for asylum seekers. Greece is a country of 11 million people. About five million are of the age where they're working and unemployment is about 30 percent. So you have an economically stretched country that is tasked with receiving hundreds and thousands of these refugees. About 47 percent of refugees will receive asylum. And by asylum, that means they have a residency permit, protection rights, their kids can go to school, and they can work while they wait for the final decision. 5 myths surrounding asylum are: the refugee crisis is over, we can easily separate refugees from economic migrants, telling human stories is enough to change people's minds, the crisis is a threat to European values, and history is repeating and there's nothing we can do about it. Resources 143 - Why Was Sandy in Istanbul?  Greek Forum of Refugees The UN Refugee Agency Are you enjoying the show? If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe or rate the podcast on iTunes by clicking here. Click here for FAQs about podcasts and how to subscribe. Haven't been receiving our newsletter? Visit our homepage to join today. Contact us with questions, comments, or suggestions at feedback@endinghumantrafficking.org. Transcript Dave: [00:00:00] You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode number 176, Field Trip to the Athens Asylum Center. Production Credits: [00:00:09] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential. Dave: [00:00:30] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is David Stachowiak. Sandie: [00:00:35] And my name is Sandie Morgan. Dave: [00:00:37] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. On the last episode we talked about studying the issues in Athens, Greece and we explored some of the big pictures, goals, and outcomes that came out of Sandie's recent trip there with the Global Center for Women and Justice team. And we talked about student involvement and so many of the takeaways that happened. On this episode, we're going to zero in on a much more of a micro conversation, Sandie, on one particular piece and one particular experience of being in Greece during that time. And we're going to really look at in some detail the asylum center that you visited. Sandie: [00:01:27] I tell you when we arrived at this center and we saw the way the gate is positioned with the kind of metal guides like you were in line to go through security at the airport and it just whines and whines, back and forth. And knowing that refugees show up there at 6 o'clock in the morning waiting for the office to open at 8:00 a.m. trying to get in first. And they have their whole family with the mom, dad, three or four kids and they're waiting there to get inside. And to begin to understand what that means. And you know, you think about asylum, finding a safe place that you can legally stay. That's the goal. And so many of the pictures that are emblazoned on our minds from the news reports of boats capsizing and people being pulled out of the water to safety. That's just the beginning because now they have to figure out how to build a new life, and they need to build it in a safe place. Dave: [00:02:45] I have so many things I'm curious about the experience and the experience of the center, Sandie. I'm curious first, and I know there's not an easy answer to this question, but who are the refugees who show up in this line.