Twenty international and Greek human rights organizations and charities expressed “urgent concern” to the Greek government and the European Union about the conditions tens of thousands of refugees face in Greece.
The existing European Union rules force asylum seekers arriving on the Greek islands to remain in overcrowded, unsafe facilities while paper work is processed, sometimes taking months– if not years to complete.
Conditions on the Greek islands have continued to deteriorate and as the winter months approach, Jana Frey, the International Rescue Committee’s country director in Greece said this is “a matter of life or death.”
“There is absolutely no excuse for the conditions on the islands right now – thousands of people crammed into overcrowded and desperately under-resourced facilities. We are in a race against time. Lives will be lost – again – this winter – unless people are allowed to move, in an organised and voluntary fashion, to the mainland,” Frey said.
Representatives of various groups asked to meet with Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras to discuss the most urgent needs on the islands and provide recommendations for addressing this increasingly dire situation. They have received no response.
Over the past month, the Greek government has transferred 2,000 people from Samos and Lesbos to the mainland as a one-time emergency measure.
When the government announced this initiative in October, these islands were already 5,000 people over capacity.
“Nothing can justify trapping people in these terrible conditions on the islands for another winter,” said Eva Cosse, Greece researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Greece and other European Union member states should act urgently to remove the obstacles to people getting the care and assistance they need on the Greek mainland.”
As of November 20, 2017, the hotspots on Lesbos, Samos, and Chios are hosting 7,000 over capacity: 10,925 people are staying in facilities with a capacity of just 3,924. Thousands, including single women, female heads of households, and very young children, are being forced to live in summer tents, essentially sleeping on the ground, as the weather worsens. Some women are forced to share tents with unrelated men, putting their privacy and safety at risk.
This will be the second winter asylum seekers have had to spend in unsuitable facilities on the islands since the EU-Turkey deal went into effect.
“The EU-Turkey deal is condemning refugees and migrants to a second winter in squalor on the Greek islands. Instead of trying to maintain the deal at all cost, European countries and Greece should urgently work together and move asylum seekers off the islands,” said Gabriel Sakellaridis, director of Amnesty International in Greece.
The following organizations have signed:
ActionAid, Advocates Abroad, AITIMA, Amnesty International, Arsis, CARE, Caritas Hellas, Danish Refugee Council Greece, Greek Council for Refugees , Greek Forum of Refugees, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Help Refugees, Human Rights Watch, International Rescue Committee, Jesuit Refugee Service, Lesbos Legal Center, OXFAM, Praksis, SolidarityNow, Terre des hommes
*****
Since you’re here… I have a small favor to ask.
More and more people than ever before are reading The Pappas Post and despite increasing costs to maintain the site and provide you with the quality content that you deserve, I will never “force” you to pay for our website or add a paywall.
I believe in the democracy of the internet and want to keep this site and its enriching content free for everyone.
But at the same time I’m asking those who frequent the site to chip in and help keep it both high quality— and free.
We’ve implemented a “free-will” annual subscription for those who want to support our efforts. I guess it’s fair to call it a philotimo subscription… because you don’t have to do it but it’s really the right thing to do if you love the site and the content we publish.
So if you like The Pappas Post and want to help, please consider becoming a “philotimo subscriber”. Click here to subscribe.
If you’d rather make a one time donation, we will gladly accept any amount, with appreciation. Click here to donate any amount.