The alarm went off days ago when over 600 people came in their only day to the beaches of the island of Lesbos , a few miles from the Turkish coast. Gone were the more than one million immigrants that came to Europe via the Greece between 2015 and 2016. The situation changed later: in 2017 they entered illegally 68.112 people and the following year 93.367. But this year the numbers are increasing each month and the situation in reception centres referred to as "hotspots" in five of the islands of the Aegean (Lesvos, Kos, Leros, Samos and Jíos) is dramatic: too many people piled up waiting, poor living conditions (lack of space, dirt, few toilets, constant fights, danger of sexual assaults on women and minors).
I denounce NGOS, international observers and local workers. The procedures are long and many permenecen there months; some, years. Therefore, the authorities evacuated a few days ago more than 1,500 people, the most vulnerable families, to facilities in the north of Greece, from the center of Moria (in Lesbos), the worst of all. On the same day you were, you arrived more than 400 people to the island. And keep on coming.
Esplanade in MacedoniaABC moved to the camp of Nea Kavala , in the province of Kilkis, near the border with Macedonia and Bulgaria. There had arrived a few days before 1.030 vulnerable people in afghanistan, from Lesbos. This is an emergency solution, because this group will be, according to the authorities, sent to you within less than a month to a new facility in conditions.
"This camp is not the best, the conditions are not viable: it is far from any urban centre, there are no trees, no shade. This is an historic aviation club, a small airport. In the summer it's very hot and in winter a cold that peels, because in addition to the wind blows". Says Kyriakos Giaglis , director in Greece of the Refugee Council Danish (DRC, for its acronym in English), with extensive experience with refugees. "Of the 26 camps that there are in Greece, organized by the authorities, we support the management of nine, among them this," he says.
Giaglis says that in the camp, there were 948 people in containers that are used for temporary housing after strong earthquakes. Are of various nationalities (Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and african countries) and after months in the "hotspots" take up time here. The authorities informed the DRC that they would receive a few thousand more people, on a temporary basis, staying in large tents, which can fit whole families. "Compared with the current situation of Moria, where in a facility to 3,000 people are around 10,000, it is clear that it is a better solution". Your agency is responsible for infrastructure (from waste collection to delivery of hygiene kits individual, through legal counseling, and classes for children and adults).
Unrest in the areaLes finances at this time, the EU, Unhcr and donations Danish (including Foundation LEGO). Food occupies a catering service contracted by the Army. ABC saw women washing clothes and children playing in a playground area. At the door, employees of the company WIND were trying to sell subscriptions telephone without success, because the newcomers did not leave the camp and still do not have access to the card, which will give them an amount per month (which never exceeds for a family the minimum of unemployment, Greek, less than 500 euros). Only an afghan mother, the shy Simin, went out for a walk with his sister and her three children, and it was back to not photograph her face. Do not speak English and does not have a male relative to accompany them.
The two big concerns now in this camp are the water and the electricity: in the area there are only 50 greeks living in the surrounding area, in the village of Nea Kavala, and now the needs are much greater. "How do you feel?", exclaims Mary, a neighbor, owner of the café "Plaza", with a nice garden in the centre of the village. "So many desperate people so close, some stolen, others throw stones at the windows, asuntan to the elderly. We feel powerless, helpless," she confesses. The same think residents of towns close to other camps and that is why you try to that of the more than 70,000 asylum seekers in the country, many to be transferred to flats in the cities, something that is more complicated and expensive to organize but for which there is european funding through Unhcr and different Ngos.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis , the new prime minister, made it clear that things were going to change, and is beginning to implement the measures announced. The first is that there is no longer a Ministry of Immigration Policy, created by Tsipras, but this matter is the Protection of the Citizen, formerly known as Public Order. This implies that there will be better collaboration with the Police, the Armed Forces and to the fire department. Because the arrival of irregular migrants (not all who arrive will be finally considered refugees) depends on the attitude of Turkey.
Threats TurkishThe president Turkish, Recep Tayyip Erdogan , has already announced that in his country there are 3.650.000 refugees and expected support of the EU. If you do not receive, "they will every day more and more people to Greece, it Will be chaos," says Kyriakos Giaglis. Already said it a evening the minister of the Interior Turkish, Suleyman Soylu, last August: "If the EU does not comply with what was agreed (in the signed Statement with Turkey on march 18, 2016) and if Turkey allows the passage of the migratory flow from Smyrna, arrive every day to the shores of Greek between 30,000 and 35,000 people. Then we will see what happens. Not threatened Europe, simply do an observation," he said.
Date Of Update: 15 September 2019, 08:00
