Tensions Rise in Greece Over a Bleak Future for Refugees
Nearly 75,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Greece in 2019, and around 4500 have reached the country already this year.
By: Nathan Matsko
Bellefonte — On the Greek island of Lesbos, unrest is brewing as migrants and refugees demonstrate against the poor living conditions of the various camps on the island. Protests were met by police, who worked to break up the crowds.
Many of those taking to the streets were from the Moria Camp, which is currently housing 20,000 migrants and refugees. Groups traveling to the city of Mytilene were intercepted and dispersed with tear gas by Greek police, as seen in footage recorded at the protests.
Greece’s adjacency to the Mediterranean has made it a hotspot for the arrivals of thousands of people from the Middle East and North Africa fleeing violence, discrimination and poverty. Lesbos in particular has seen many arrivals, as its proximity to the coast of Turkey and Syria make it an obvious choice for those who dare to brave the sea waters.
The struggle of the Greek Government to accommodate so many new arrivals is reflected in the poor conditions that migrants and refugees are experiencing. New details, however, shed light on just how atrocious these conditions are.
Nigerian immigrants sleep at a refugee camp in Sicily Cr: Berta Banacloche
A report by Dr. Adriaan van Es, Secretary of the Medical Human Rights Network paints a vivid picture of the current state of the Moria Refugee camp in Lesbos. With so many current occupants, the overcrowded camp is a breeding ground for viruses, but also for issues such as violence, with stabbings and robberies becoming a familiar occurrence.
While overcrowding comes with its own host of issues, it also exacerbates others. There is a severe lack of Greek health personnel and little accessibility for thousands of people dealing with serious medical conditions. While medical referrals to other hospitals on Lesbos do occur, they are dangerously backed up. Not only this, but hospitals have been known to discriminate in favor of European individuals, and against those of refugee or migrant backgrounds.
The conditions plaguing daily life inside the camp are various. Common problems include waiting in line for hours for low-quality food, crowded and inadequate tents and cabins, unsafe and sub-standard facilities. These issues are not only threatening the wellbeing of refugees and migrants but are violating their right to health, according to the report.
Overcrowded camps are breeding grounds for health crises due to a lack of medical personal and unsanitary conditions.
The Greek government shares responsibility, but it is not the only party responsible.
“The fact that Greece is in a particularly difficult position as one of Europe’s ‘frontier’ countries where most refugees and asylum seekers enter Europe, should be considered when it comes to accountability. Accountable parties seem to be not only the Greek Government but also the European Union,” says Dr. Adriaan van Es.
The Greek government announced last year that it plans to close camps like Moria, and instead replace them for smaller “closed, pre-departure centers”. This, along with a tightening of land and sea borders, seems to be an attempt to discourage potential asylum seekers from trying to cross over into Greece at all.
Nearly 75,000 refugees and migrants arrived to Greece by land and sea in 2019, and around 4500 have reached the country already this year, despite attempts to directly or passively stop the influx of potential asylum seekers. As more European countries tighten their borders, it is unclear how the situation will continue to evolve. What is clear, though, is that the current state of places like the Moria Camp are casting already vulnerable people into further desperation and danger.