Webinar (1): Second Syrian Refugee Crisis
In October 2019 the East Mediterranean migration route via Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans witnessed a new exodus that very much resembled the so-called migration crisis of 2015. Thousands of refugees were fleeing Northern Syria as conflict resumed, but also thousands of refugees living in Turkey for years were encouraged to make their way to the EU. Political panic ensued. But what appeared as the beginning of a mass exodus was disrupted with the advent of COVID-19 and successive lockdowns across Europe.
Webradio is broadcasting from central Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus at www.lemoniradio.com
In light of COVID19, migrants find it harder to survive in Europe, as blue-collar work comes to a standstill, while the disruption of freedom of movement means that they are likely to remain stranded. Not being able to work and not being able to move, thousands of people face a situation that is as desperate as it has ever been. The question now becomes how this “temporary crisis” that leaves thousands of people leaving home or their “temporary residence” stranded, with no access to “temporary work.” There are no straightforward answers of a permanent nature on offer.
This is the subject of the first live discussion held by the International UN Watch in partnership with LemoniRadio, in Cyprus. On this first installment of “Meeting Points” (every Monday, 3-5pm GMT / 6-8pm, CY time, on LemoniRadio.com), we are interviewing Lülüfer Körükmez and Konstantinos Tsitselikis, on the current status of the Syrian refugee crisis unfolding between Greece and Turkey.
Lülüfer Körükmez (PhD) is a Sociologist specializing on Migration Studies. She works for the Izmir branch of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT). She served as an Assistant Professor at Ege University, Izmir until 2017.
Constantinos Tsitselikis is a Professor of International Human Rights Law at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece, specializing on minority rights, migration and refugee law. He served as the President of the Greek Human Rights Association (2011-2017) and has worked with the Council of Europe, the EU, the OSCE, and the UN as a Research Director and Author of numerous studies.
