“Little superheroes” who survived one of the worst Mediterranean disasters in recent history

Alkistis Agrafioti Chatzigianni She is a lawyer and advocate for the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), a partner of Save the Children and Oxfam, which provides free legal aid and psychosocial and social support to people seeking asylum in Greece.

Alkistis met Seven children aged 15 to 17 survived the tragedy.. All of them were traveling on the ship without parents or close relatives and came from Egypt and Syria.

This is his story:

“The children looked miserable. Some did not want to talk about what had happened that night. They were extremely tired and looked dazed. How could it have been otherwise, they were a the overwhelming experience that I fear will mark your childhood forever.

They told me they started that deadly journey. completely alone or with friends or younger cousins. Some survived the disaster by hanging on a piece of wood. Clinging to this piece of wood, they remained in the water for hours.

It was clear from his eyes that the experience was terrifying and devastating. They were stressed. I had to be very careful with my references and questions because of course I didn’t want them to be uncomfortable.

they told me they were worried about their future and afraid of what might happen to them. They were worried about what would happen if they were forced to return to their country. Her greatest wish was to leave Greece as soon as possible and join her relatives (parents, siblings, uncles and aunts) in other European countries.

They looked very angry that they had let hundreds of people drown. Some lost their friends, their cousins ​​in a shipwreck. How is it that women and children remain in the sinking ship and nobody did anything to help them?, they asked me. Shocked by this fact, they felt it was a cruel contempt for life.

During our interview, I felt like I was talking to you. little superheroes. had They were tired, frightened, and very distressed, but they were also warriors.. He had dreams. They wanted accountability. They seemed stronger than us, people with the privilege of living safely in Europe. I deeply admire these children.

Some asked me if the coast guard took responsibility for what happened. No, but I explained that an investigation is underway into the conditions of the shipwreck and the actions of the coast guard. They were not surprised. They were disappointed and had a strong sense of injustice. At the moment, they do not believe that there will be a transparent investigation and that those responsible will be held accountable. They feel as if more than a month has passed and nothing has happened yet.

I can’t come to terms with the idea that an estimated hundreds of people died that night, including hundreds of children. While talking to them, I wondered how these survivors were going to move on with their lives after this horrific experience.

I feel suffocated. We can’t be spectators. for your sake, all European citizens should demand a transparent and effective investigation About the wreck and liability for both the sinking of the ship and the delay or related negligence in salvage to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable. And above all, we must provide safe and legal avenues for children fleeing violence, persecution or poverty; Otherwise, we will continue to see more tragedies like this.

Finally, it is the responsibility of the European Commission and Member States. They urgently need to relocate these children and reunite them with their families to provide a safe and suitable environment.. All of them must receive international protection in Europe. That’s the least Europe can do for them.

Thought I’d share his story, and here it is.