Idomeni

Idomeni is a northern Greek village on the border of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). In a 2011 census, this small, agricultural village had a recorded population of 154 people. On 9 March 2016 FYROM made the decision to close its borders and subsequently halt the flow of refugees through the Balkan nations into Western Europe causing a tremendous population swell to occur. When I visited in April 2016 the population of the village was estimated at 11,318 people, 40% of which were children under the age of 12. All of these people were sharing 128 toilets with no official showers. Women gave birth in these conditions and dirty water and poor hygiene resulted in regular outbreaks of illness. Many children in the camp had shaved heads due to lice outbreaks.

It was clear both then and now, that European Refugee response was gravely under prepared both logistically and politically for this arrival of people. In Idomeni, refugees with a completely legitimate right to asylum were reduced to animal status.