The 28th of July 2021 marked the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1951 Geneva Convention – one of the most fundamental legal documents protecting the rights of refugees and outlines the legal obligations of States to protect them. In particular, Article 33 of the Convention as well as the principle of non-refoulement – […]
The continuum of violence and death on the Greek island of Lesvos
Although one might think that death would be the last act of a lethal political game which is played at refugees’ expense and that death itself would serve as a figurative border beyond which violence would not carry on and inflict suffering. My research indicates that violence also continues in death and even beyond the moment of death. Violence continues to be inflicted upon the lifeless bodies which are washed ashore, the unidentified and missing persons, the shipwreck survivors, the families, and even whole communities.
Graveyards of Human Rights: thoughts on the refugee camps on Lesvos in light of the UNHCR’s 70th ann
Cases of sexual violence inside refugee camps are often presented as if they were tragic accidents, or natural and isolated events. However, sexual violence is endemic to refugee camps and it has escalated over time. Despite these facts, evidence and warnings, refugee populations are systematically abandoned into structurally harmful environments which not only allow, but also create the conditions for such atrocious acts of violence to take place.