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| Greek Refugee Camps Are Near Catastrophe, Rights Chief Warns | Greek Refugee Camps Are Near Catastrophe, Rights Chief Warns |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| ATHENS — Life in the overcrowded migrant camps on Greek islands “has dramatically worsened” in the past year, with thousands of refugees fighting to meet their most basic needs, Europe’s top human rights official warned on Thursday. | ATHENS — Life in the overcrowded migrant camps on Greek islands “has dramatically worsened” in the past year, with thousands of refugees fighting to meet their most basic needs, Europe’s top human rights official warned on Thursday. |
| “It is an explosive situation,” the official, Dunja Mijatovic, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, said after going to several camps. For many people in the camps, she said, “this has become a struggle for survival.” | “It is an explosive situation,” the official, Dunja Mijatovic, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, said after going to several camps. For many people in the camps, she said, “this has become a struggle for survival.” |
| The Greek Parliament was expected to adopt a bill later Thursday aimed at easing crowding in the camps. But that plan could simply substitute one set of problems for another, Ms. Mijatovic suggested. | The Greek Parliament was expected to adopt a bill later Thursday aimed at easing crowding in the camps. But that plan could simply substitute one set of problems for another, Ms. Mijatovic suggested. |
| “There is a desperate lack of medical care and sanitation in the vastly overcrowded camps I have visited,” she said at a news conference in Athens. “People queue for hours to get food and to go to bathrooms, when these are available.” | “There is a desperate lack of medical care and sanitation in the vastly overcrowded camps I have visited,” she said at a news conference in Athens. “People queue for hours to get food and to go to bathrooms, when these are available.” |
| She described families “chipping away at rocks to make some space on steep hillsides to set up their makeshift shelters, often made from trees they cut themselves.” | She described families “chipping away at rocks to make some space on steep hillsides to set up their makeshift shelters, often made from trees they cut themselves.” |
| Ms. Mijatovic’s comments underscored the predicament that Greece still faces four years after the height of the refugee crisis: arrivals from neighboring Turkey are increasing, and many fear of a new wave of migrants from Syria. | Ms. Mijatovic’s comments underscored the predicament that Greece still faces four years after the height of the refugee crisis: arrivals from neighboring Turkey are increasing, and many fear of a new wave of migrants from Syria. |
| About 70,000 migrants in Greece have pending asylum applications, including about 34,000 who are in the Aegean island camps, and many would like to move on to other European countries. Ms. Mijatovic denounced the “political deadlock” that has prevented the 28 members of the European Union from reaching an agreement on how to deal with refugees. | |
| On Thursday, one of the European Union’s chief lawyers advised the bloc’s top court that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland had no legal right to refuse to take significant numbers of refugees, under a policy adopted in 2015. The Court of Justice nearly always accepts the recommendations of those lawyers, but it is not clear how such a ruling could be enforced. | On Thursday, one of the European Union’s chief lawyers advised the bloc’s top court that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland had no legal right to refuse to take significant numbers of refugees, under a policy adopted in 2015. The Court of Justice nearly always accepts the recommendations of those lawyers, but it is not clear how such a ruling could be enforced. |
| Ms. Mijatovic described “unbearable” conditions on the island of Samos, where a migrant center houses 6,000 people, nine times its maximum capacity, and also expressed concern about Lesbos, where the main camp holds nearly 14,000 people, up from 7,000 last year. Rioting has broken out at camps on both islands in recent weeks, and frustrated migrants have set fires, demanding relocation to the mainland. | Ms. Mijatovic described “unbearable” conditions on the island of Samos, where a migrant center houses 6,000 people, nine times its maximum capacity, and also expressed concern about Lesbos, where the main camp holds nearly 14,000 people, up from 7,000 last year. Rioting has broken out at camps on both islands in recent weeks, and frustrated migrants have set fires, demanding relocation to the mainland. |
| Ms. Mijatovic welcomed plans by the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to transfer 20,000 migrants to mainland facilities by the end of the year. | Ms. Mijatovic welcomed plans by the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to transfer 20,000 migrants to mainland facilities by the end of the year. |
| But she joined the chorus of rights advocates criticizing the government’s plan to change how Greece handles migrants who arrive by boat from Turkey. | But she joined the chorus of rights advocates criticizing the government’s plan to change how Greece handles migrants who arrive by boat from Turkey. |
| The proposed law would speed both the processing of asylum applications and the deportation of people who are denied that protection. Anyone refused asylum would be transported first to Turkey and then, in many cases, to their home country; the government has said it plans to send 10,000 people to Turkey by the end of the year. | The proposed law would speed both the processing of asylum applications and the deportation of people who are denied that protection. Anyone refused asylum would be transported first to Turkey and then, in many cases, to their home country; the government has said it plans to send 10,000 people to Turkey by the end of the year. |
| Ms. Mijatovic said her chief concerns were that the proposed law would allow the authorities to detain migrants more easily and for longer periods, and that it made it harder for rejected asylum applicants to challenge those decisions. | Ms. Mijatovic said her chief concerns were that the proposed law would allow the authorities to detain migrants more easily and for longer periods, and that it made it harder for rejected asylum applicants to challenge those decisions. |
| Rights groups held protests in central Athens on Thursday before the vote in Parliament, which is likely to approve the bill. | Rights groups held protests in central Athens on Thursday before the vote in Parliament, which is likely to approve the bill. |
| Mr. Mitsotakis has said repeatedly that Greece cannot bear the burden of the migrant crisis alone. | Mr. Mitsotakis has said repeatedly that Greece cannot bear the burden of the migrant crisis alone. |
| Under a 2016 pact between Turkey and the European Union, Turkey agreed to curb illegal migration to Europe, and Greece agreed that those who reach its shores would be restricted to the Aegean Islands until their asylum applications were processed. But many migrants have managed to travel to mainland Greece, from where it is easier to slip into other European countries. | Under a 2016 pact between Turkey and the European Union, Turkey agreed to curb illegal migration to Europe, and Greece agreed that those who reach its shores would be restricted to the Aegean Islands until their asylum applications were processed. But many migrants have managed to travel to mainland Greece, from where it is easier to slip into other European countries. |
| To relieve the humanitarian crisis on the Aegean Islands, many people must be moved to the mainland, Ms. Mijatovic said, suggesting that the provision restricting migrants to the islands be lifted. But the European authorities fear that such a move would encourage more people to migrate. | To relieve the humanitarian crisis on the Aegean Islands, many people must be moved to the mainland, Ms. Mijatovic said, suggesting that the provision restricting migrants to the islands be lifted. But the European authorities fear that such a move would encourage more people to migrate. |
| The Aegean crossings have increasingly strained relations between Greece and Turkey. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has threatened to allow refugees now in Turkey to continue on to Europe. | The Aegean crossings have increasingly strained relations between Greece and Turkey. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has threatened to allow refugees now in Turkey to continue on to Europe. |
| Last weekend, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the Greek authorities of pushing back more than 25,000 migrants trying to cross the Aegean. Mr. Mitsotakis responded by accusing Turkey of exploiting the refugee crisis and “using the persecuted as pawns in forwarding its geopolitical goals.” | Last weekend, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the Greek authorities of pushing back more than 25,000 migrants trying to cross the Aegean. Mr. Mitsotakis responded by accusing Turkey of exploiting the refugee crisis and “using the persecuted as pawns in forwarding its geopolitical goals.” |