Greece Imposes Strict Measures in Migrant Camps, No Infections Reported So Far

(Patria) – The Greek government has introduced a package of strict measures concerning migrant camps on the Greek islands.

As of Wednesday, the camps are closed from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, while during the day, movement is only allowed for one family member. Police are controlling movement, and some camps on the islands of Leros and Kos are completely closed.

On five Greek islands, home to about 42,000 migrants, one case of infection has been recorded – a local resident of the island of Lesbos, while there are no infected individuals among the migrant population.   

However, the measures introduced by the Greek government have faced sharp criticism, especially from humanitarian organizations working in the camps:

- Imposing such restrictions on people in the camp, rather than on the island population, is unacceptable and discriminatory, stated Apostolos Veizis, director of the medical unit of the French humanitarian organization Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) in Greece. 'You are locking children, women, and men in seriously overcrowded camps where hygiene conditions are appalling.'

The 'appalling conditions' mentioned by MSF can be seen at every turn in camps like Moria on Lesbos, designed for 6,000 people but housing over 20,000. In that camp, 1,300 people share one tap, 167 people share one toilet, and 242 people share only one shower. There is also not enough soap for regular hand washing, and self-isolation is out of the question.

On average, 6 people sleep within 3 square meters. Migrants are in poor health due to the lack of basic living conditions in the camps, as well as the constant stress they are exposed to.

A third of the migrant groups consist of children, of whom almost half are unaccompanied. They come mainly from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and the African Congo, and typically stay in the camp for between 5 and 12 months, writes the British Guardian.

Greece currently records 464 cases of coronavirus infection, with 6 deaths. Public gatherings are banned, and social distancing is recommended. 13 hospitals in the continental part are dedicated solely to treating patients with the virus.