After the fire in the Greek refugee camp Moria, Amnesty International called for humane accommodation for the nearly 13,000 displaced refugees. They are temporarily housed on ships and in tents.
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At the devastating fire in and around the Moria refugee camp On the Greek island of Lesvos, as far as is known, there were no fatalities, but about 12,600 inhabitants are no longer sheltered. They will be temporarily housed on ships and in tents, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said on Wednesday.
Athens also announced that two navy transport ships would pick up migrants on Thursday, while a Greek shipping company has also offered a ship. In addition, about 400 unaccompanied children are being taken from Lesbos to the mainland on Wednesday evening.
‘EU ready to help’
Earlier today, Amnesty International asked pragmatic solutions from the Greek government and other EU member states. “Those people must be brought to safety immediately,” demanded their expert in asylum policy, Franziska Vilmar.
The ‘evacuation of the refugees to the Greek mainland and a redistribution among the other European countries’ is part of this, according to Vilmar. Human rights can only be respected if there is adequate housing, access to medical care and a fair asylum procedure, it said.
The European Union “stands ready to help,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter. ‘I am deeply saddened by the events. I have asked Vice-President Margaritis Schinas to visit Greece as soon as possible. We are ready to help with the Member States. Our priority is the safety of those who are homeless, ‘she tweeted.
Earlier, the European Commission announced that it is funding the immediate transfer of 400 unaccompanied minors and teenagers from the Greek island to the mainland.
‘Humanitarian catastrophe’
Germany, the Netherlands and Norway have also indicated their willingness to support Greece. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the fire “a humanitarian catastrophe.” The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia wants to receive up to a thousand people from the refugee camp. That must be part of a ‘large, European total concept’, said Prime Minister Armin Laschet.
The Dutch cabinet is allocating one million euros for emergency aid to Greece. According to the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, this should include refugees. The money is also intended for food and medical aid.
The Norwegian government has committed to bring 50 people from the camp to Norway, preferably families with children. The Norwegian government parties had already decided in May to transfer 50 asylum seekers from the camp in Lesvos to Norway, on the condition that at least eight other countries do the same. But given the fire, it has been decided not to wait any longer, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.
Workaround
Meanwhile, the UN refugee organization UNHCR warned that the current situation could lead to conflicts between the refugees on the one hand and the inhabitants of Lesbos on the other. A temporary solution for the displaced people is in the works and former residents of Moria have been asked to stay nearby, according to the UNHCR.
Finally, the organization called for restraint on all involved after reports of tensions between residents of nearby villages and migrants heading for the island’s capital, Mytilini.
UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, in turn said it was ready for the more than 4,000 children, including 407 extremely vulnerable unaccompanied minors. According to the organization, the priority is to guarantee the immediate safety and protection of children.
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