Greece: MPs send “Christmas roll call” to take in more migrants

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Almost 250 members of the Bundestag have called on the federal government in a cross-party “Christmas roll call” to take in other migrants who are currently stuck in Greece for humanitarian reasons.

The government should work with federal states and municipalities that are willing to accept them, according to the appeal, which was signed by parliamentarians mainly from the Greens, the SPD and the Left Party, but also dozens of MPs from the CDU / CSU and FDP.

Attention is drawn to the continued catastrophic situation, especially on the Greek islands.

The signatories of the appeal expressly welcome the recordings that have already been made in Germany.

Since April, more than 1500 people have been able to enter from Greece within the framework of various contingents, 88 of them on this Thursday.

However, this is not enough, the appeal continues.

"That is why we, as members of the German Bundestag, call on the federal government to advocate compliance with human and European law standards" and "to accelerate the admission of refugees from the Greek islands to Germany", expressly "even beyond the already promised quota".

In addition, the federal government should advocate that other EU states also participate in humanitarian campaigns to take in migrants.

Politicians from the CDU, Left, FDP, Greens and SPD sign

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The MPs recall that more than 200 German municipalities and some federal states have agreed to accept additional asylum seekers.

“These commitments clearly exceed the admission coordinated by the federal government,” says the appeal.

"We see the federal government as having an obligation to give the municipalities and states that can and want to enable accommodation that is worthy of human rights a commitment for admission," emphasize the signatories.

The appeal is justified with the catastrophic supply and hygiene situation in Greek camps.

This concerns Camp Moria on Lesbos, which burned down in September and which has "for years become a symbol of the failure of European asylum policy".

"According to consistent reports from human rights organizations, the humanitarian situation in the new Kara Tepe interim camp is significantly worse than in Camp Moria," it said.

Against this background, the dissolution of the smaller Pikpa camp on Lesbos for people in particular need of protection is sharply criticized.

The first signatories of the call are the MPs Luise Amtsberg (Greens), Ulla Jelpke (Left), Gyde Jensen (FDP), Ulli Nissen (SPD) and Matthias Zimmer (CDU).

Also involved are the Green parliamentary group leaders Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter as well as party leader Annalena Baerbock, SPD leader Saskia Esken, the left parliamentary group leaders Amira Mohamed Ali and Dietmar Bartsch as well as party leader Katja Kipping and the former Union parliamentary group leader Volker Kauder (CDU).

The aid organization World Vision Germany welcomed the appeal.

"While we can celebrate Christmas despite the Corona restrictions, the situation for people seeking protection in Greece is unbearable, especially for the children," said CEO Christoph Waffenschmidt.