More than 12,000 refuÂgees and migrants had to flee Moria camp on LesÂvos amid the COVID-19 panÂdeÂmic, folÂloÂwing its desÂtrucÂtion by larÂge fires last night. Many of them have now no roof over their heads. SinÂce this morÂning, despeÂraÂte refuÂgees – most of them famiÂlies and childÂren – who attemptÂed to reach the main town in order to ask for assisÂtance and to cover their basic needs have found poliÂce proÂhiÂbiÂting their pasÂsaÂge and are stranÂded on the road. Until the earÂly afterÂnoon hours, no care was reporÂtedÂly taken to proÂviÂde basic assisÂtance to the homeÂlÂess, wheÂreÂas more riot poliÂce units arriÂved on the island. This disÂasÂter took place a week after the Greek autÂhoÂriÂties plaÂced the camp in quaÂranÂtiÂne after the first COVID-19 case was idenÂtiÂfied in the camp, folÂloÂwing which 35 resiÂdents of the camp have tesÂted posiÂtiÂve. It also occurÂred hours after the MinisÂtry of MigraÂtiÂon and AsylÂum lauÂded its efforts to deconÂgest the entiÂre counÂtry and to “regain conÂtrol of migration”.
The traÂgeÂdy of Moria is neither new nor ineÂviÂtaÂble. RefuÂgee SupÂport AegeÂan (RSA) and PRO ASYL have conÂsisÂtÂentÂly docuÂmenÂted the abhorÂrent, dehuÂmaÂniÂsÂing and unsafe conÂdiÂtiÂons facing refuÂgees on LesÂvos for years, as a direct result of natioÂnal and EU poliÂciÂes based on conÂtainÂment on the islands in impleÂmenÂtaÂtiÂon of the toxic EU-TurÂkey deal. ResponÂsiÂbiÂliÂty-shaÂring through reloÂcaÂtiÂon at EU level has been set up but remains far below actuÂal needs, with only 533 perÂsons reloÂcaÂted to other EuroÂpean countÂries in 2020.
This year, the dire cirÂcumÂsÂtances are comÂpounÂded by serious gaps in preÂparedÂness to proÂtect refuÂgees’ phyÂsiÂcal and menÂtal well-being during the COVID-19 panÂdeÂmic despiÂte strong calls to evacuaÂte the camp and court orders to transÂfer refuÂgees to suiÂtaÂble living conÂdiÂtiÂons. RefuÂgees who spoÂke to RSA and PRO ASYL befoÂre the desÂtrucÂtion of Moria camp descriÂbed the imposÂsiÂbiÂliÂty of adheÂring to social distancing in conÂdiÂtiÂons of seveÂre overÂcÂrowÂding, insufÂfiÂciÂent proÂviÂsiÂon of masks and disÂinÂfecÂtants, filtÂhy and insufÂfiÂciÂent hygieÂne faciÂliÂties, and many difÂfiÂculÂties in accesÂsing mediÂcal assisÂtance in the camp.
RSA and PRO ASYL belieÂve that the perÂsisÂtence on the hotÂspot model that conÂtaÂins peoÂpÂle on the islands, parÂtiÂcuÂlarÂly during a panÂdeÂmic, leads to repeaÂted criÂses, depriÂves refuÂgees of any hope and inflaÂmes the exisÂting xenoÂphoÂbic cliÂmaÂte in local socieÂties. This model is incomÂpaÂtiÂble with the funÂdaÂmenÂtal prinÂciÂple of non-disÂcriÂmiÂnaÂtiÂon and the rule of law in a demoÂcraÂtic society.
RSA and PRO ASYL urge for an immeÂdiaÂte and effecÂtiÂve responÂse to the presÂsing needs of the refuÂgees on Lesvos:
1. Prompt and adeÂquaÂte emerÂgenÂcy assisÂtance in Greece: Greek autÂhoÂriÂties must ensuÂre, as a matÂter of prioÂriÂty, access to adeÂquaÂte shelÂter, humaÂniÂtaÂriÂan and mediÂcal assisÂtance, incluÂding safeÂguarÂding refuÂgees’ phyÂsiÂcal safeÂty. An approÂpriaÂte responÂse to the COVID-19 panÂdeÂmic on the islands also requiÂres robust increase in health care staff and mediÂcal equipÂment, incluÂding actiÂvaÂtiÂon of the EU Civil ProÂtecÂtion MechaÂnism as approÂpriaÂte. EU instiÂtuÂtiÂons must proÂviÂde supÂport in this direcÂtion, conÂsideÂring the effects of the desÂtrucÂtion on Lesvos.
2. ImmeÂdiaÂte transÂfers to suiÂtaÂble accomÂmoÂdaÂtiÂon on the mainÂland: Greek autÂhoÂriÂties must ensuÂre the immeÂdiaÂte transÂfer of refuÂgees from LesÂvos to open recepÂtiÂon faciÂliÂties guaÂranÂteÂeÂing an adeÂquaÂte stanÂdard of living on the mainÂland, startÂing with the most vulnerable.
3. ImmeÂdiaÂte expanÂsiÂon of reloÂcaÂtiÂon at EU level: MemÂber StaÂtes and SchenÂgen AssoÂciaÂted CountÂries must strengÂthen and subÂstanÂtiÂalÂly increase their comÂmitÂment to exisÂting volÂunÂtÂaÂry reloÂcaÂtiÂon scheÂmes and demonsÂtraÂte their effecÂtively soliÂdaÂriÂty to Greece. A prompt responÂse to accept the immeÂdiaÂte transÂfer of a larÂge numÂber of refuÂgees from the island of LesÂvos to other countÂries is a startÂing point for expresÂsing soliÂdaÂriÂty, conÂsideÂring the deploÂrable situaÂtiÂon on the island.