Refugee

Chapter Nineteen - Piraeus.

It was just another ordinary day until finally things seemed to be moving and changing for the better. Dimitri came to fetch them. Opening the cell, he led them out and along the corridor to the office where the Captain was sitting behind his desk. He addressed Dimitri in their own language as they all arrived. Then he produced a large brown envelope from his desk drawer, which he pushed across the desktop.
The boys stood side by side in front of the Captain's desk. Samir focused on the envelope, Rifat was simply looking at the desk and wondering what this was all about, Firas glanced over at Dimitri.

He picked up the envelope and withdrew the documents inside, handing one paper to each boy. The Captain seemed sympathetic and was even smiling as Dimitri explained what was about to happen.

“You will be put on board a ferry, leaving tonight for Piraeus, which you know is on the mainland. This document is to be given to the officials who will be meeting the boat. They will take you to a refugee centre for minors, children.”

Dimitri looked at the boys to make sure they were following what he was saying. Firas nodded. “Later, the officials in Piraeus will issue you with a White Card. This is an International Protection Seekers Card, and you will have a date shown for your meeting with the officials to decide your right to be granted asylum. That means that if this is granted you will be able to stay, and will be under protection until you become eighteen.”

The Captain indicated to Dimitri to continue, he seemed to be wanting to get this over and done with as quickly as possible.

“You must not miss the time and date fixed for your interview. That is the one most important thing to remember. Miss it and it's all over.”

The Captain spoke to Dimitri and he turned to the boys, telling them they needed to follow him back to the cell now.

As he locked the cell door for probably the final time, Dimitri told them he would be back this evening to take them to the ferry. He tried to reassure each of them that everything would be alright, things were progressing in a positive way.

Once on their own, the boys were both excited and apprehensive. Talking about the trip on the boat, about getting refugee status, and about how they would find Amar and Halil, Rifat's cousin. What they didn't know is the Captain had managed to shrug off the responsibility of the boys, just as he had done with the adults. If the strict letter of the procedure was followed, they should register for asylum in Rhodes. But the Captain knew the process could easily take six months, maybe longer. He didn't want them stuck here for that length of time, there was nowhere to put all these refugees.

Once issued with the White Card, they would not be able to move until the hearing on their refugee status and being granted or denied asylum. Nothing was actually certain despite a new found enthusiasm amongst the boys, the document they each had was nothing more than a neat side step by the Captain – passing the buck.

*****

Everything went more or less as Dimitri had said it would. He was there when they were taken out of their cell and put into the back seat of a police car. They even got their backpacks, including Amar's. Dimitri wished them good luck as they boarded the ferry, and each of them knew he genuinely meant it.

The port was lit up with the glaring white light from the lamps on top of tall posts, and the rear of the boat had the ramp illuminated in a halo of light from each side. They walked aboard as the last of the vehicles finished loading. They climbed up the metal stairs to the rear passenger deck, and Samir thought – ‘I hope this was the ferry Amar was on and that I will find him again.’

*****

Piraeus port, a vast desert of concrete, the dropping off and embarkation point for vehicles, people, and refugees. But whilst the vehicles are just passing through, and the people board buses, the refugees arriving join the fifteen hundred or so already in the camp. Of course they could just walk out, any security there might be, was very lax. But get stopped outside without any papers and it’s goodbye to any hope of staying in Europe.