The UN Refugee Agency has sharply criticized the situation in Greek reception centers. The atmosphere in the accommodation on the island of Lesbos reaches a boiling point, the UNHCR said. In the camp Moria lived about 7,000 people, although only room for a good 2,000 people, said a spokesman.
The centers in Samos, Chios and Kos are overcrowded. "We are particularly concerned about inadequate sanitation, conflicts between frustrated groups, increasing sexual harassment and outbreaks, and the growing need for medical and psychosocial care."
The UNHCR called on the government in Athens to speed up asylum applications and get people to the mainland faster. Lesbos is not far from the Turkish coast.
In 2015, almost one million people from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq arrived on the island. Meanwhile, the numbers had fallen significantly, said the UNHCR spokesman. Nevertheless, the EU states would have to help the countries in which especially many migrants are entering European soil for the first time. "You can get a grip on new arrivals in Europe today, that's a matter of political will."
More than 19,000 people on five islands
A mayor on Lesbos had sent a letter of fire to the competent minister in Athens the day before because of the overcrowded camps. "There is a danger that we will witness tragic events," warned the mayor of the island's capital Mytilini, Spyros Galinos. The patience of the inhabitants has also reached its limits due to increased petty crime, it threatens a social explosion.
According to official Greek sources, there are currently more than 19,000 migrants and refugees on the five Aegean islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. The refugee camps there are designed for only 6,000 people.