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Greek PM @kmitsotakis was interviewed on @camanpour yesterday. He stated several things in his interview that I would like to clarify.
#Thread #Refugeesgr #coronavirus https://twitter.com/camanpour/status/1245415180244340742
#Thread #Refugeesgr #coronavirus https://twitter.com/camanpour/status/1245415180244340742
First Mitsotakis said there were no confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Lesbos.
There have been no confirmed cases in the refugee camp of Moria on Lesbos. However there have been reports of cases among Greek people on Lesbos. https://www.efsyn.gr/node/237089
There have been no confirmed cases in the refugee camp of Moria on Lesbos. However there have been reports of cases among Greek people on Lesbos. https://www.efsyn.gr/node/237089
The Prime Minister then stated that the “The refugee and migration issue is […] complicated. It is very much related to what happened in Greece […] at the beginning of the last month.”
Last month Turkey stated they would open their borders to refugees, in an attempt to pressure the EU for support. There were worries this would lead to further crowding in the Greek island camps. https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-03-06/refugees-caught-middle-greek-turkish-political-standoff
But the refugee camps on the islands have existed in their over-crowded state for years now.
This is from 2017: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/06/aid-groups-warn-of-looming-emergency-at-greek-asylum-centres
This is from 2017: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/06/aid-groups-warn-of-looming-emergency-at-greek-asylum-centres
Mitsotakis said “We have a very good track record of dealing with this problem in a humane manner.”
But @camanpour pointed out that the Greek government has often been criticized by human rights organizations for their treatment of migrants and refugees. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/06/open-letter-85-organizations-regarding-rights-violations-refugees
But @camanpour pointed out that the Greek government has often been criticized by human rights organizations for their treatment of migrants and refugees. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/06/open-letter-85-organizations-regarding-rights-violations-refugees
Additionally Mitsotakis stated that they had streamlined the asylum system to make it quicker.
When the new asylum law was passed this fall, I spoke to @UNHCRGreece and @AmnestyGreece who both stated it did not observe asylum seekers’ human rights. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-11-05/greece-s-new-asylum-law-poses-continuous-traps-refugees
When the new asylum law was passed this fall, I spoke to @UNHCRGreece and @AmnestyGreece who both stated it did not observe asylum seekers’ human rights. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-11-05/greece-s-new-asylum-law-poses-continuous-traps-refugees
Mitsotakis concluded that Greece has not received as much support as they would like from Europe.
This is true. The EU once stated they would relocate 120,000 asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU countries. The final number was 34,712. https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/apr/02/eu-court-rules-three-countries-czech-republic-hungary-poland-broke-law-over-refugee-quotas
This is true. The EU once stated they would relocate 120,000 asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU countries. The final number was 34,712. https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/apr/02/eu-court-rules-three-countries-czech-republic-hungary-poland-broke-law-over-refugee-quotas
It is worth noting these over-crowded and unhygienic island camps exist due to a combination of EU and Greek policies. https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/03/04/after-the-eu-turned-greece-into-a-refugee-warehouse-a-backlash/
As Covid-19 spreads, people in Greece's refugee camps are especially vulnerable to infection. There have been repeated calls for immediate evacuation to prevent catastrophe. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/growing-calls-evacuate-greek-refugee-camps-virus-threat-200319163512654.html
