Hatty interviews Harriet Paintin about her experience volunteering in Lesbos and Istanbul, working with refugees. She gives an essential insight into what it’s like on Lesbos for the refugees, as well as describing the awful press behaviour, the smugglers, and the broader political situation.

Jump to Topic:
0:00 Introduction & Lesbos
1:28 Lack of aid
3:13 Refugees
5:56 The boat landings & the awful press
9:00 The camps
20:19 Where is the international support?
23:05 Do the refugees know what awaits them?
24:32 The smugglers
28:02 Turkish state complicity & EU
31:06 Why can’t refugees stay in Turkey?
33:45 Syrians & more refugee discussion
39:20 Syria
40:03 ISIS & Kurds
41:36 Organised Crime
43:15 The exciting potential of refugees
46:46 Can they return home one day?
48:18 There is no infrastructure to go back
49:06 Any solution?
51:56 Harriet back to Istanbul

(Apologies, there is a technical issue where Hatty’s lav mic stopped working between 40 minutes and 45 minutes. Her questions and comments are still audible, just quieter than usual.)

For more of Harriet, visit the website Brush & Bow, which explores individual stories within wider social issues through art and music.