Help Refugees Access Lifesaving Information

On behalf of everyone here at Internews, THANK YOU for your support!

With your support, we’re now on our 21^st issue of the News That Moves Rumor Tracker.  What has become clear is that rumor and misinformation that is circulating among refugee populations is causing panic, fear and confusion. Because of your ongoing contributions, we are able to counter these rumors with reliable information that refugee populations can use to guide them in their journey.

Updates:

As many of you know, the closing on the borders along the Balkan Route in early March, and the signing of the EU/Turkey deal soon after, has resulted in the change in operations for Internews and other agencies who are responding to this crisis. Currently, the majority of those affected by this change in policy are refugees who are stuck in Greece. Greek officials estimate that somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 refugees are stuck in Greece, many of them living in dire conditions in camps that are running low on food, water, and basic supplies. Refugees also have an acute need for news and information, most imminently concerning information related to border and migration, which enables them to make informed decisions and stay safe.

The Rumor Tracker

The Mediterranean Rumor Tracker is a project that collects all of the rumors among refugees passing through Europe. By identifying misinformation and hearsay and responding to it with relevant, factual information, NewsThatMoves Rumor Tracker aims to keep the refugee population at the forefront of our communication response. The Rumor Tracker also feeds into our central news platform, “News That Moves,” a news information service that aggregates and creates content from stringers all along the Balkans route. You can read the full archived reports by following the links attached at the bottom of this report. Here are just two examples of the rumors we have been hearing over the last month, to give you an idea of the kinds of questions and concerns people have.

RUMOR: “After they [authorities] transfer people to camps, everyone who is left at the port will be taken to military camps.”

The majority of the organized sites for accommodating refugees in Greece are under the control and management of the Greek military. Very few sites (such as Elliniko) are not under military management. Some sites or camps may have caravans for shelter and others have tents. According to Greek authorities, all refugees will be taken from Piraeus port to organized sites or camps.

RUMOR: “Now that the EU-Turkey deal is cancelled, the 7 billions will be given to Greece, and will be used to relocate people [refugees] to the EU countries by ships or airplanes.”

The EU-Turkey deal that was signed on 18 March 2016 has not been canceled and it is still in force. Greece will not receive 7 billion EUR as part of this deal. People can be relocated from Greece to other EU countries through the EU Relocation Program. To apply for the EU Relocation Program you first have to register to apply for asylum in Greece and you have to be from Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Burundi, Central African Republic, Maldives, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahrain, or be a stateless person who was living in one of the aforementioned countries.

Background:

When we first arrived on Lesbos in September of 2015, helping fill the information needs of the refugees focused on the basics:  while many travelers were cell-phone equipped, what they really needed was posters at the beaches with a map, telling them where they were (that have landed on an island, and were not in mainland Greece), how far key services were (60 km, up some steep hills – not an easy walk), and how much a taxi would cost and when busses would arrive.  While the information was somewhat simple, the ability to provide it was complicated– in multiple languages, to people with different rates of literacy and access to technology. 

 Posters were just a start.  The primary source of information flows among the refugee population was word of mouth, amplified by smartphones.  Much of the information, unfortunately, is rumor and misinformation, some of it quite dangerous and many of it originates with the smugglers in Turkey. 

 In response to this, we complimented the posters with a rumor tracking system and an online, virtual newsroom, News That Moves, to disseminate verified, actionable information to people making the journey to Europe.  This information is distributed on-line, via apps, on billboards, and printed flyers through humanitarian assistance partners. 

Then, the situation changed. On March 20th when the EU- Turkey agreement took effect, the door to Europe slammed shut.   IDP camps are turning into detention centers and dreams of asylum are turning into fears of deportation. 

Given the lack of clarity surrounding the agreement, the “What Now” question has changed…  It is less about where to go and much more about complex asylum laws and still-unclear government procedures, often buried under several layers of national and international law. Under so much new uncertainty and complexity, information is all the more important.

Thanks so much for your support! We so appreciate your compassion and generosity – we will be sure to keep you informed as the project continues. 

Links:

• Read the Rumor Tracker Reports!