Alan Kurdi’s father hopes to join German rescue ship named after son

Times of News

5 years ago

The father of Alan Kurdi, the drowned three-year-old Syrian boy whose death was captured in a photograph that shocked the world, is planning to join a German migrant rescue mission named after his son.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Abdullah Kurdi, 45, spoke of his plan to assist efforts on the boat operated by German charity Sea-Eye.

Telling the daily he has since remarried and his new wife is pregnant, Kurdi said: “As soon as my son (is) born, I will go on the ship to save migrants. I want to give them the help that I did not get.”

Abdullah Kurdi had hopes of building a new life in Europe

Kurdi’s first wife drowned in 2015 together with the couples two sons as the family tried to reach the Greek isalnd of Kos from Bodrum in Turkey.

Sea-Eye’s ‘strong emotional bond’ with family

Sea-Eye spokesman Gorden Isler confirmed that the organization had been in contact with Kurdi about joining the mission which will operate in the Mediterranean Sea.

Read more: Aunt of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi calls for compassion

“We have built a strong and emotional bond with the family” Isler said, before adding: “if we succeed in fulfilling all organizational requirements, then we would be happy that Abdullah accompanies the ship. He will then be part of the crew and also take over tasks.”

The EU ceased official rescue missions in 2014 replacing them with border enforcement operations with security agency Frontex

The Alan Kurdi ship is currently docked at the port of Burriana, in Spain, as the charity does not have sufficient funds for further rescue missions, despite hoping to resume missions on October 12.

International outrage

In 2015, Alan Kurdi’s death caused international outrage and shock when a photograph surfaced showing his drowned body washed up on a beach.

His death came at the peak of the migrant crisis, and following his image going viral, European leaders pledged to act to help those attempting the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.

Kurdi now lives in Erbil, in Kurdish Iraq, and runs a charity helping children in refugee camps.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

An old factory on the outskirts of Thebes

At the premises of the old Sakiroglou textile factory, in an industrial area just outside Thebes, a new reception center for refugees and migrants with a capacity of 700 people was launched last spring. Thebes hosts mainly refugee families and unaccompanied minors who have come from the islands, primarily Lesbos. They live here in container facilities or small apartments.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

The school year has started

On the day we visited the camp in Thebes, refugees and migrants were being registered for language and integration courses. Αpart from the UN refugee agency and the IOM, Greek NGOs such as ARSIS as well as international ones like Solidarity Now are active here. Doctors of the World provides primary health care. This refugee camp is also supported by the local government and the army.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Eleonas, a refugee village in Athens

After Thebes, our second stop was Eleonas in Attica, close to the center of Athens. This is the first open refugee hosting center, which began operating in 2015, when the refugee crisis reached its peak. Despite its problems, it was considered from the very beginning to be an exemplary center for Greece, unlike the first reception and accommodation centers on the Aegean islands.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Emphasis on education

Many of the refugees and migrants hosted in Eleona want to leave for Central and Northern Europe — mostly Germany. They are offered intensive English and German courses, as well as Greek courses for those who are considering staying in Greece or those who just want to feel a bit more integrated into Greek society.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Disturbing the calm waters of Kavala

The massive arrival of migrants last year at the port of Kavala rocked the quiet northern city. Many people rushed to see the newcomers. Most welcomed or simply accepted all those who fled from their homelands. This photo was taken by journalist Giorgos Karanikas.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Volunteers and municipal workers at Kavala’s refugee camp

According to the volunteers and residents of the city, the majority of people have no problem with the refugees and migrants hosted in the former military camp, not far from the city center. Most people who work here want to help. Despina Tsolakidou and Evi Drakonti are two of them.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Ioannina: An old οrphanage turns into a refugee center

The former children’s institution of Aghia Eleni, created shortly after the Second World War by Queen Frideriki, has been transformed into new accommodation for refugees and migrants. Mostly families are hosted here, waiting for their reunification applications to be processed. Until then, they are preparing for the cold winter.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

The teacher from Aleppo

Every single person at the refugee camps has his or her own story, anxieties and journey through the war zones of Syria, the mountains of Turkey, or the turbulent waters of the Aegean. Amsa was a high school teacher from Aleppo. A bomb killed her daughter. She is stranded in Greece waiting for her family reunification application to be accepted. Meanwhile, she teaches Arabic to volunteers.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

Konitsa, the small city that never forgets

Even Konitsa, at the Greek-Albanian border, offers accommodation to refugees mainly from Syria. Most of them told DW that they feel safe and welcome here. Konitsa Mayor Andreas Papaspyrou told us that the city itself has a refugee past. In the early 1920’s, Greek Orthodox refugees from Asia Minor and Cappadocia found a new home here.

What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland

‘We want to go to Germany’

Konitsa’s accommodation center hosts approximately 80 people who belong to so-called vulnerable groups. Most of them stay here temporarily, while others already have the green light to leave Greece. The Derwish family from Qamishli, Syria left their homeland in order to secure a peaceful future for their kids. They only have one destination in mind: Germany.

Author: Dimitra Kyranoudi