Idomeni, Hellas
The European dream
One million people crossed the ocean and came to Europe in 2015. The vast majority came to Greece with ferries from the Greek islands just off the Turkish coast. From Assos in Turkey to the island of Lesvos in Greece there are only four kilometers of ocean. The refugees can literally stand on the shore and look towards the European dream. When they eventually came to the mainland in autumn 2015, everything was ready for a swift movement and exit out of Greece.
Private buses drove the refugees from the ferry area towards the Macedonian border. The price was a few euros. We visited this border crossing at Idomeni. There we also met representatives from the Norwegian Red Cross. I remember we called the contact person of the Red Cross. He told me it was a quiet day. What does "quiet" mean in your world, I asked. That means only 4,000 persons have passed today, he replied. This says it all about the dimensions of what happened last autumn. There was a line of buses at Idomeni as far as we could see. They were full of refugees and migrants. Macedonians let only a certain number pass at a time. This created frustration among the Greeks who wanted the newcomers out of the country as fast as possible. The volunteers stood at the border handing out soup and blankets. I was deeply impressed by the efforts of the Norwegians from the Red Cross. Their faces were glowing. The people they helped had the same energy and spark. They had reached a new stage and looked forward to the next phase. There were no tears. Only courage. I remember thinking how these refugees would feel in a few years. Would they still have the same hope and willpower?