Syrian refugees remain trapped in Greece for years

At least 24,000 men, women and children from Syria seeking protection in Europe are trapped on the Greek islands in horrendous conditions while being deliberately neglected by Greek and European authorities. The harmful crisis, which is undermining the well being of thousands of vulnerable people, is the result of a faulty reception system, a lack of protection mechanisms and insufficient provision of services. This demonstrates that the EU’s containment and deterrence approach to managing migration has simply failed.

Paediatric mental health teams working on Lesvos saw child referrals double in July compared to previous months. In July and August, 73 children were referred to paediatric health professionals: three had attempted to kill themselves and 17 were self-harming. Ten of the 73 children were under the age of six, with the youngest just two years old.

In Vathi camp on Samos, the situation is unsustainable, with 5,000 people crammed into a space designed for 650, and with the majority of people living in an area outside the camp known as ‘The Jungle’. The absence of protection measures and basic services puts people at risk of retraumatisation, while reports of harassment, sexual assault and other forms of violence are on the rise.

The Greek Government recently transferred almost 1,500 vulnerable people from Lesvos. However, humanitarian actors believe that moving people to tents on the Greek mainland is not a safe or effective response to chronic overcrowding and its effects on people’s well being.  At least 2,500 people who have been officially recognised as vulnerable remain on Lesvos, despite being entitled to be moved elsewhere for specialist care, and this figure does not include the probable thousands of others who have not yet been officially recognised as vulnerable.

Humanitarian Advisors call on the Greek Government, the EU and its member states to act according to their responsibilities and put an end to this unacceptable and harmful crisis by:

• Urgently evacuate children and the most vulnerable people on the islands to safe and appropriate accommodation on the Greek mainland or to other European states
• Immediately increase the number of medical staff in Greek reception centres so that people can receive the medical and mental healthcare they require as soon as possible
• Immediately identify and implement a rapid and sustainable mechanisms to avoid the recurrent overcrowding on the islands, which continues to cause suffering and harm to thousands of people
• Immediately terminate the current containment policy in order to protect people’s dignity, prevent unnecessary suffering and ensure respect of their fundamental rights