Greek islanders protest government's asylum policy
Residents of the three Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios have staged public protests against the Greek government's immigration policy. The islands are home to more than 42,000 refugees, and protesters have called for them to be transferred to Greece.
Lesbos, Samos and Chios are the three most popular Greek islands hosting the largest number of foreign refugees. These islands are considered the gateway for refugees to Europe, and thousands of Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and Iranian refugees who arrived on these islands are currently waiting for their asylum cases to be processed. Refugees and local authorities say that the camps and asylum seekers are no longer able to accommodate the new arrivals.
On Wednesday, January 22, Greek protesters called on the Greek government to transfer refugees from refugee camps to other parts of Greece as soon as possible.
The Greek islands have been virtually paralyzed, with police, municipal employees, and government and non-government institutions taking part in a general strike. Shops have also closed in protest at the Greek government's immigration policy.
A 72-year-old man who took part in the public demonstration told AFP that the protesters were calling on the government to send refugees arriving on the Greek islands to different parts of the country and for European countries to take responsibility for accepting them.
One of the protesters' placards reads that the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos should be closed. The camp is home to 19,000 refugees, while it was only built to accommodate 2,840.
The Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos is more like a prison with high security measures and minimal amenities: high walls, long rows of barbed wire, a watchtower, and a large number of police and security forces.
Inside the camp, refugees are forced to live in tents without heating and use dirty toilets and washrooms. Outside the camp, refugees are also wandering around, deprived of even these "facilities."
There is a similar situation on other Greek islands. Human rights activists have said that the conditions for refugees in these camps are unbearable.
In November last year, the Greek government decided to establish refugee camps on most of the country's islands of Lesbos, Samos, Kos and Leros.
A total of 42,000 refugees have been resettled on the Greek islands, and refugee camps have repeatedly been the scene of conflict between refugees.
Greece is the main destination for refugees trying to enter the European Union. According to the United Nations, 55,000 refugees have entered Greece by sea and 14,000 by land across the Turkish border. Most of the refugees have come to Greece to escape war and poverty.
Giorgos Stantsos, the mayor of Vathi on the island of Lesbos, wants human rights to be respected and says the island cannot handle so many refugees.
The number of refugees in refugee camps on the islands of Samos, Lesbos, Chios, Kos and Leros is currently increasing day by day. The presence of such a large number of refugees is unprecedented since the EU-Turkey deal was signed.
Under the 2016 agreement between the European Union and Turkey, EU member states are allowed to return all asylum seekers who enter the EU through Turkey, but the process of processing their asylum applications and returning them to Turkey has been slow.
Source: DW
