A sharp increase in refugees arriving on Greece’s Aegean islands is pushing an already faltering reception system to breaking point and is symptomatic of a failure by Europe’s leaders to adequately address the refugee crisis, warned Amnesty International ahead of the EU Summit which starts today.
A recent fact-finding mission to the islands and follow-up research reveals that new arrivals – including children – face appalling reception conditions. Poor planning, ineffective use of EU funds and a hiring freeze have left Greek authorities incapable of meeting the needs and protecting the rights of refugees. Each month the humanitarian crisis, enflamed by Greece’s financial disaster, worsens.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Director for Europe and Central Asia, said:
“Tens of thousands of vulnerable people making the perilous sea journeys to escape war or poverty arrive on these islands only to be met by a support system on its knees. The majority of new arrivals have limited or no access to medical or humanitarian support and are often forced to stay in squalid conditions in overcrowded detention centres or open camps.“The humanitarian crisis in the Aegean is not merely a Greek tragedy but the product of a failing European migration system. It is incumbent on EU leaders meeting this week to acknowledge that the intolerable strains on frontline states such as Greece and Italy are the product of Europe’s failed migration policies. Effective solutions to meet the global refugee crisis and share the responsibility more equitably across the EU must be urgently applied.”
