GREECE. Samos. July 2020. Vathy Camp. Golnegar is a mother of six children, four daughters and two sons. Her oldest child is a 12-year-old boy. She gave birth to her baby girl in Samos two months ago. Golnegar and her husband took the difficult decision to seek asylum in Europe after they had been targeted by armed groups in Afghanistan and their children’s lives were at risk. They have been in Vathy camp for more than 7 months, and despite the Golnegar’s pregnancy and medical condition they have not yet been offered a safe place to stay.

“There is something wrong with my kidney. I am in pain and I have headaches everyday, but despite my efforts to see a doctor in the camp or in the local hospital, it has not been possible so far. All of my children have insect bites on their bodies, and they complain often that they feel sick, but there is nothing I can do for them,” says Golnegar. Her husband adds: “We only want a safe place for our children. We came here to save them from war and take them to school, but instead we found ourselves in this camp waiting in limbo for almost a year. We just want to start a peaceful life and take our children to school, and this is only possible on the mainland or in other European countries. How long will we have to stay in this makeshift camp?”