EU chief Ursula von der Leyen promised to help migrants after fire at Greece camp

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen dispatched a senior official to Greece on Wednesday and promised Brussels will offer support to refugees after a fire ravaged a major migrant camp.

“I am deeply sorrowed by last night’s events at the Moria refugees camp in Greece,” the president of the European Commission tweeted, adding that she had sent on of her vice-presidents, Margaritis Schinas, on a urgent trip back to his homeland.

“We stand ready to support, with member states. Our priority is the safety of those left without shelter.”

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Thousands of asylum seekers have been left homeless by the fire in the overcrowded Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, already a potent symbol of Europe’s struggle to agree a refugee policy.

Schinas is the EU commissioner for migration, security and “promoting the European way of Life.”

Germany has called on EU member states to pitch in to help resettle the refugees, but so far Brussels has announced only that it will help 400 children and teenagers among the 12,000 residents.

“The safety and shelter of all people in Moria is the priority,” Internal Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson tweeted after talking with Greek authorities.

A major rescue operation was under way Wednesday in the largest refugee camp in Greece.

“I have already agreed to finance the immediate transfer and accommodation on the mainland of the remaining 400 unaccompanied children and teenagers,” Johansson added.

The crisis in Moria illustrates the need to reform the EU’s migration policy, a process long stalled by divisions between member state governments.

Fire destroys Moria refugee camp: another tragic wake-up call for the EU’s asylum policy

Fires at a reception centre for asylum seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos have left thousands of people without shelter. Around 13,000 people – including those from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and west Africa – lived at the Moria Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) in a space intended for just over 3,000. Most will have lost the few belongings and flimsy and insufficient housing they had.

Lesbos is now in an official state of emergency. Ships are being sent to help shelter those left sleeping on the roads outside the camp, some of which were blocked by police to stop people entering nearby villages. Meanwhile, there is confusion over how asylum cases will be progressed when many of the administration zones in the camp were also damaged by the fires.

This fire is just the latest in a number of tragic cases of fire and violence, as well as inhumane conditions, endured by those seeking asylum on the Aegean islands of Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos. It is a stark reminder of the failures of the current system and the need for change.

COVID-19 led to increased restrictions on the freedom of movement of those in the island centres, making already dangerous conditions a lot worse. While restrictions imposed across Greece in late March have now eased, the date for lifting the lockdown on the island centres continues to be pushed back. Other residents of the five islands and tourists have been free to meet for coffee, go to the beach, or go out for dinner, but RIC residents have had their freedom of movement restricted in scorching heat. They were left in unsuitable conditions, with limited access to sanitation, food and water. The risk of COVID-19 remains high, and 35 people tested positive in Moria before the fires.

Not a fair system
So what should the EU and the Greek government do now? The day after the Moria fire, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the commission is ready to support Greece, and that its priority is “the safety of those left without shelter”.

Yet as recently as March von der Leyen thanked Greece for being Europe’s aspida (shield) because of its location at the EU’s border with Turkey.

A situation in which Greece is understood to be Europe’s shield, one which pushes the responsibility for migration and border policy to neighbouring states, is one that will inevitably lead to overcrowding in camps on the Aegean islands as well as lives lost at sea in the Mediterranean. So too will an approach that ignores offers by cities in the Netherlands to rehouse refugees as national governments continue to rely on Greece. Policies designed to push back, return or prevent people from entering Europe will not ensure genuinely safe and legal pathways for crossing borders.

[gj]

Hang on did they not start the fire - it is like giving an arsonist a new house

[bikerbee]

They burned their camp and get rewarded