Greece: a major fire ravages the Moria migrant camp in Lesbos
A major fire broke out this Wednesday morning in the Moria migrant camp in Lesbos.
Manolis LAGOUTARIS / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
Several fires broke out this early Wednesday morning in the Moria migrant camp, on the Greek island of Lesbos.
A large-scale rescue operation is underway.
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According to firefighters, "
scattered
fires
in the meadow around the camp but also inside the structure
" mobilized 25 sappers and ten vehicles to evacuate this overcrowded camp on the Greek island of Lesbos - one of the worst in the world. Europe - which currently hosts nearly 12,700 asylum seekers, four times its reception capacity.
Asylum seekers in revolt
“
Almost the entire camp is on fire, both inside and the tents that are outside in the olive grove.
Asylum seekers are fleeing the camp on foot towards the port of Mytilene but are blocked by law enforcement vehicles
, ”said an AFP photographer on site.
According to local news site Lesvospost, more than 3,000 tents, thousands of containers, administration offices and a clinic within the camp have been burnt.
Update: fires seem out of control.
Moria is burning and this means Lesvos is burning and where are all the people now with their talks and promises?
We are alone on this island and this fire is a fire in all of Europe but it only destroys our island https://t.co/Kw42ZAG20Y #moria pic.twitter.com/09K2Nt8pWC
Stand by Me Lesvos (@standbymelesvos) September 8, 2020
Stand by Me Lesvos, an association
bringing together locals and refugees
, is alarmed on Twitter: “
Everything is on fire, people are fleeing.
Some testimonies report that locals are blocking the passage (of refugees) in the neighboring village
”.
According to the Greek news agency ANA, the fires would have been started following the revolt of some asylum seekers who were to be placed in isolation, having
tested positive for the coronavirus
or close to a person who
had
tested positive
.
Last week, authorities detected a first case of coronavirus in Moria camp and quarantined the camp.
After carrying out 2,000 screening tests, 35 people were detected positive for Covid-19 in Moria.
"
Only one person presented symptoms, the 34 others are asymptoptic
", assured the statement of the Greek Ministry of Migration.
"
The 35 people positive for the coronavirus were transported to a space provided for their isolation
", also specified the ministry.
Tensions
Strict traffic measures have been imposed in migrant camps since mid-March.
The government has never lifted
these restrictions
despite criticism from human rights NGOs deeming these measures "
discriminatory
" when the decision was taken to deconfin the country in early May.
These NGOs denounce the confinement
of asylum seekers
in these structures which are not adapted to put in place the necessary barrier measures.
The Moria camp has in recent years been repeatedly criticized for its lack of hygiene and its overcrowding by NGOs who regularly call on the Greek authorities to transfer the most vulnerable asylum seekers to the mainland.
Riots
and fights have become almost daily in the Moria camp.
From January to the end of August, five people were stabbed in more than 15 attacks.
Last March, a girl was killed in a burnt container.
In September 2019, two people also died in a fire.
►
To listen also: Moria, the sick camp of Europe
(
With agencies
)
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