“That time he was treated just like an animal, they treated them all like animals – just shouting ‘go go go‘ and ‘keep silent.”
The respondent spent six months in Xhanti camp without documents, then he was pushed back to Turkey. His second time in Greece in Xhanti he was told his case was still running. For two months, he tried to enter into skype to register.
He was pushed back a total of 5 times. He was caught in Komotini and brought to the police station there. He tried to go from Turkey to Bulgaria- was caught by Bulgarian police who took all his belongings including his documents and mobile phone. When they saw he had a white card, they let him pass into Greece.
At Komotini station there were 14 or 15 people, they stayed there for one night. Then the police asked each of them for an address of where they wanted to go in Greece. He said Thessaloniki. The police said they would help them to get to their destination with transport. Even more people came later, around 40 or 50 people were there. Then around 2 AM at night, a big white van came and all the people were put them into the van and brought to the Turkish border. And one boat came to the river. One time 15 people, one time 20 people. In total there was 42 people.
There was only Greek police there. They spoke Turkish. They didn’t speak to the group much. They communicated with them in Turkish language – not too much, - just ‘go over there, go go ‘ and ‘keep silent. Keep silent.’
But one of the other times they did speak Greek language. The ones who brought them to the Turkish side of the river bank. They spoke Greek. That time the uniforms of the people were the little brown one, and some of them were wearing a greenish one. But he could see the Greek flag, that is why he knows they were from the Greek army.
In the boat they were from the Greek army – the Greek police are differently dressed, and they were speaking Turkish. Inside the boats, there were just two people with them. Only two men from the army.
The Greek police stayed behind on the river bank, stood there with a microscope, to see that nobody was there on the other side of the river. Most of the people present had come from Xhanti and Drama camp – most of them had passed their six months. Some of them – they already applied for asylum. Or had announced their intention to apply for asylum. Because, when you come in a camp, after 2 days they will call you and ask you why are you there – then they take an interview with you, to ask about the reasons why you came. Etc.
The police (at Kotimini) knew that they were from the camps - they took their names and their details. They asked them: ‘Give me your address’.
When they crossed the river in the boat, at the Turkish side, they threw the bag out of the boat and screamed take your bag. Some of them fell in the water, some others on the ground.
That time he was treated just like an animal, they treated them all like animals – just shouting ‘go go go‘ and ‘keep silent’.