The official opening date was 20.09.13. Until today many people believe the new “camp” – officially announced to consist of one “first reception centre” and one “pre-removal centre” – will be the better alternative to detaining new arriving refugees and migrants in the open space of the port or in the overcrowded police stations of the island. But, is it really better? And what exactly has been constructed in Moria? Moria: First reception or prison?
A look into the past:
– 2009 the local detention centre Pagani was strongly criticised. It was called “Dantes Inferno”. It closed following a wave of protests from the detained and from no border activists who were outside. Pagani 2009
– 2013 the Greek government announces to build at least 10 mass detention centres with an overall capacity of 10.000. Shortly before the elections Amigdaleza opens as the first in a series of openings that occurred during the summer of the same year. It is used as the showcase of the new government presenting a new modern type of prison for the undocumented. Even though the first look showed “better detention conditions” it soon became clear that this would be the Greek Guantanamo. What started as a massive police operation called “Xenios Diaz” in August 4th, 2012 was the beginning of thousands arrests that followed. First it “only” affected the undocumented, later also sex workers, drug addicts, homeless and tax evaders. In the following another four detention centres open in Corinth, Xanthi, Komotini and Drama, Parenesti. The total capacity of the five new prisons: 5.000. And more is to come. Amigdaleza
Currently the law allows for up to 12 months of detention of undocumented migrants and refugees (Syrians are the only exemption). The two “camps” to be opened soon in Moria will complete the picture of a broader Greek Guantanamo for migrants. Be they called “centres of hospitality”, “first reception centres” or “pre-removal centres”, the reality is the same. They are all prisons.
The only alternative is: No prisons but welcome centres! No prisons but welcome centres!
With PIKPA, Mytilenes’ civil society has created a strong alternative which has proven to work under principles of solidarity, respect and self-organisation. Despite the fact the government has chosen to proceed with its plans. PIKPA – welcome centre, run by the local solidarity group “village of all together”
In the last few days some dozens of refugees arrived again on the island. In the last 24hours only it was 113. They arrived on three separate rubber boats at different spots of the coast.
About 100 refugees are currently detained in the port without any protection from the sun. Among them families and children and a small baby. An unkown number of refugees is detained in the overcrowded cells of the police stations all over the island. At least 10 women with their children from Syria are among them. Some refugees from Syria who had been arrested on Saturday – and that are not supposed to be detained according to a decision of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, have not been released yet.
Meanwhile temperatures have reached more than 35 degrees celsius. A baby had to be transferred to hospital due to dehydration today.
Yesterday, the police release more than 70 of the migrants and refugees who had recently arrived on the island and who were detained under inhuman conditions inside the port area for a few days. Some of them had been already transferred to different police stations on the island for further detention. The release was a consequence of further arrests on the island and overcrowded cells. Families from Afghanistan, Syria and men and women from Somalia took the ship to Athens.
On Thursday 13th the local activist network “Village of all together” is planning a protest in front of the port where the migrants are usually being detained. Currently there are less than 10 persons left inside the port area among them a pregnant woman, minors and a small baby. Also the syndicate of the coast guard is planning to react on the inhuman detention conditions and the inhuman working conditions for their staff inside the port.
Meanwhile another 44 refugees arrived yesterday on Samos island. The detention centre on Samos has a capacity of 300.
30 degrees celsius 75 arrivals today; 95 the two days before 26 degrees celsius Despite the positive experience of PIKPA open welcome centre that was opened by the end of last year by the local activist network “Village of all together”, which provided for the first time a real reception solution for refugees, the authorities on Lesvos keep refugees locked up in degrading and inhuman conditions ignoring the given alternative. Somali men and women looking for shadows
With the increase in arrivals in the beginning of May 2013, detention facilities started to get overcrowded once more on the island. The authorities didn’t know where to put the refugees anymore.
Some of the recent arriving refugees are trying to survive since three days in the sun while being “locked up” in the port of Lesvos without any protection or infrastructure. There is no food supply by the responsible authorities but only through volunteer citizens on the island. Nevertheless it remains insufficient. Yesterday one young man fainted due to heat, thirst and hunger. Afghan unaccompanied minors
Among the refugees of the last three days, who come in their majority from war torn areas such as Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia, are several pregnant women, elderly and sick persons, small children and even a five-mmonth-old baby with severe health issues. Basic medical aid is provided by the Doctors of the World. The coast guard and the police keep even vulnerable persons such as families, children, pregnant women for days imprisoned. Additionally Syrian nationals who according to a decision of the Ministry of Citizen Protection are not to be imprisoned anymore remain at least some days behind the bars. Even a 5-month-old baby
On Lesvos since two months the coast guard arrests the refugees on land and on sea, detains them for a few days in the fenced open area inside the port, makes a first registration and then transfers them either to the local police station or to a detention camp in Chios or elsewhere in Greece. The police then issues after an uncertain period of time between some hours and up to months a detention and a deportation decision against each refugee. more than two women advanced in pregnancy
Not knowing where to put the refugees other than inside the fenced port area or in the filthy cells of the police station, the arriving refugees are pushed around from one detention place to the other, from one island to the other or even to the mainland. Currently the detention centre of Chios where many of the in Lesvos arrested had been transferred to has also passed its capacity (of 100). No one can tell who will stay for how much time in detention. At the same time there are unaccompanied minors imprisoned in different police stations of the island who will soon reach one month behind the bars because they wait for a place in a specialised reception centre. Such a place exists in Agiasos, a mountain village on the island, but instead of offering refuge to the children in prison, the government has cut the funding, the centre is since two months without staff and the 60 hosted minors are trying to survive now without any food. Meanwhile tourists arrive from Aivalik in Turkey and look at the destitute refugees
Meanwhile BBC published yesterday an article according to which the Greek authorities push-back illegally refugees and migrants to the Turkish side in Evros but also seemingly in the Aegean denying them thereby the right to access to the territory
and as such to asylum in Europe. Even more, the alleged push-backs put the lives of the refugees in risk of death.
Yesterday while the coast guard was repairing a rubber boat just next to the refugees who were sitting in the sun some boys from Afghanistan asked with fear in their eyes:
“They are not going to return us back with that boat to Turkey, are they?”
Despite the great efforts of the local activists in welcoming the new arriving refugees with all possible means in PIKPA and outside of it, the government obviously has not the intention to invest in this project and to create hospital and open welcoming centres. On the contrary it is creating a constantly growing detention and deportation regime with new and bigger prisons, growing repression, higher fences and hidden deportations on the border. Everyone asks: When will we be free?
P.S. A remark towards the Frontex boat and staff that is currently in operation on Lesvos: How exactly is Frontex with its fundamental rights approach reacting to the obvious degrading detention conditions and the alleged push-backs? As proudly presented the high technology and expertise assumingly allows the “experts” from the European Agency to see everything that is going on on the border. Doesn’t it? IF not actively part of the system isn’t there at least a responsibility of cognisance and thus a complicity? Europe is not only present with its flag but also with Frontex
On Wednesday April 24, 17 refugees (12 from Afghanistan and 5 from Syria) detained by the coast guard of Lesvos started a protest against the detention conditions
First no one wanted to register them (thus without papers they cannot leave the island) and when they are finally arrested (in order to be registered), they remain detained under inhuman conditions. Among the refugees small children, sick persons, young mothers and other vulnerable groups. The 12 Afghan refugees on hunger strike have been detained now for more than 12 days in the yard of the coast guarrd where they are constantly exposed to the sun (30 degrees celsius). foto: S.K.In total they spent already almost 40 days on the island most of which they were homeless in the beginning when authorities denied registering them. Then they spent some days in the self-organised welcome center PIKPA which is run by the network “Village-ofall-together” until they were finally arrested. foto: S.K.
Sans papiers arriving in Lesvos cannot leavethe island unless they get arrested and registered whereafter they receive a so called White Paper which is valid usually only for a period of 30 days. This paper legalises them for the given period of time within which they should leave the country by their own means. Anyway it is no travel document. Syrian refugees by a Ministerial Decision are given a period of six months instead of one.
A group of 10 Syrian refugees (out of 26 in total currently) was released upon pressure by the network “village-of-all-together” but as if for revenge they were given white papers only valid for 30 days instead of 6 months.
