Overcrowding, poor sanitation and security lapses are putting refugees and migrants being kept at the reception and processing centers of Vathy on Samos and Moria on Lesvos at risk, Amnesty International said on Monday following a visit to the facilities on the two eastern Aegean islands.
“Our recent visit once more highlights the serious consequences of the EU-Turkey deal on human rights,” the group’s Greek branch said, referring to a deal between Brussels and Ankara to stem arrivals in the European Union that has resulted in hundreds of asylum seekers and migrants being trapped in unsuitable condition at camps on the Greek islands as well as on mainlands.
“We saw hundreds of people sleeping in makeshift tents, exposed to strong winds and rain, while they also said that the area is crawling with rats,” said AI Greece chief Gavriil Sakellaridis.
The rights group also reported speaking to unaccompanied women who have been forced to share accommodation with strangers and who are afraid of circulating around the camp alone.
The security problem is especially acute in the areas used to accommodate dozens of unaccompanied minors, AI said.
Source: ekathimerini.com >>>