NGOs demand solutions for the serious situation of refugees due to the long wait to access safe shelters in Greece. Several NGOs, human rights and aid groups have pointed out the perilous situation in which asylum seekers live in the camps of the Greek islands and are calling for a solution before the arrival of winter.
According to a new report by 12 organisation including International Rescue Committee, more than 2000 unaccompanied minors face great dangers when sleeping on the streets and are on the waiting list for the safe shelters. The report provides an overview of the current situation on the islands as well as on the mainland. It sets out a series of recommendations for the Greek Government, EU leaders and the UN for a successful handover to address the persistent gaps in services, access to asylum and opportunities to integrate with Greek society.
Country Director of The International Rescue Committee, Jana Frey said, “Of paramount concern is the safety and well being of the children who are without their family and on their own in Greece. Only about 1,000 are staying in shelters set up to accommodate them. The rest are on a waiting list, with potentially hundreds of children sleeping on the streets or in squats. These children are at grave risk.”
Head of Mission for Oxfam, Greece Nicola Bay said, “It’s time for the Greek Government to step up and take control of the situation. It should seize this opportunity to learn the lessons of the past two years and to move people from overcrowded and unsafe shelters. Sadly, the misery we are witnessing on the islands will only deepen when winter sets in.”
Managing Director of Solidarity Now Antigone Lyberaki said, ”The Greek Government has the required resources to receive refugees in a safe and dignified manner and support their inclusion into the society. What is needed now is full political will to resolve existing problems that make thousands of people suffer and also to create a response system that will benefit both refugees and the hosting community.”
Head of Mission of CARE Aleksandra Godziejewska said, “Despite being in one country, as a direct result of the EU-Turkey statement, the living conditions and protection safeguards of asylum seekers on the Greek islands and the mainland are substantially different. We look forward to the results of the efforts to decongest the islands, and call the Greek government to implement strategies to counter the exclusion and marginalization that all refugees, men, boys, women and girls, can face during the upcoming process of integration.”
While some steps have been taken to move people to the mainland, the islands remain dangerously overcrowded with many families sharing unheated tents as winter sets in.
