Five young immigrants detained in Greece «kleinezeitung.at

Greek media reported that two of the suspected arsonists were not arrested on Lesbos but in northern Greece. Now there are almost 800 refugees in the new camp. The Antonov 124 transport plane loaded relief supplies in Vienna.

7.30pm, September 15, 2020

A week after the fires in the Moria refugee camp, police arrested five refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos on suspicion of arson.. Five young migrants have been arrested and a sixth is still being sought, Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis told Greece’s ANA news agency on Tuesday.

Greek media reported that two of the suspected arsonists were not arrested on Lesbos but in northern Greece. They are minors who were transferred to northern Greece a day after the great firein order to protect them, and that they should be included by other EU states, the Athens television station “Mega” reported, citing police circles.

According to the Greek authorities, on Tuesday night fires had started in several places in the Moria camp. Most of the camp was burned and another fire on Wednesday completely destroyed the rest. Around 11,500 people were left homeless, including 4,000 children. Greek authorities believe the fires were deliberately set by refugees to force a relocation of the overcrowded camp.

In recent years, Moria has been repeatedly criticized for the suffering of the refugees housed there in devastating conditions. Some of the more than 12,000 prisoners had been trapped there for years in inhumane conditions. While the island’s authorities are building a new camp near the coastal town of Panagiouda, the EU states are again arguing over the distribution of refugees.

Meanwhile, nearly 800 residents of the burned refugee camp have taken up residence in the new temporary camp. As reported Monday night from the Greek Ministry of Migration, 21 residents were tested for the new corona virus.

Austria ships 55 tons of relief supplies

A Russian Antonov 124 transport plane landed at Vienna airport on Tuesday afternoon. The plane loaded relief supplies for homeless migrants on Lesbos, which Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will deliver personally to his Greek counterpart on Wednesday.

Austria brings a total of 55 tons of relief supplies to the Greek island as emergency aid. where more than 12,000 asylum seekers have been made homeless since the Moria refugee camp fire. The load weighs 55 tons and is 300 cubic meters or 150 pallets in size. It will be brought to Athens on Wednesday on the Russian Antonov 124, one of the largest transport aircraft in the world.

However, many migrants do not want to stay in Lesbos and refuse to move into the new stores. Journalists have no access there. According to the first neighbors, the offer is not good. Consequently, showers and mattresses are missing, among other things.

Migrants also fear rejection from locals, Many of them are now resisting asylum seekers who remain on Lesbos. Since last year there have been clashes between asylum seekers and residents.

The prefect of the North Aegean, Kostas Mountzouris, one of the harshest critics of the government’s plans to build a new camp on Lesbos, called for protests Tuesday afternoon. Opponents demand that migrants be housed on boats.

EU asylum authority Easo resumes work

According to its own statements, the EU asylum authority Easo will resume work on Lesbos “in the coming days”. Easo employees would again hold talks with asylum seekers in support of the Greek authorities, the authority announced Tuesday. Easo is also making staff available to help Greece set up a makeshift camp on Lesbos.

Easo is represented on Lesbos with around 160 employees. The agency’s facilities in Moria were destroyed in the fires last week.

According to the EU Commission, 11,000 people are awaiting the decision on their asylum application on Lesbos. In 1400 international protection was promised and in 900 the application was rejected in the second instance.

The largest group of asylum seekers on the island are people from Afghanistan (77 percent). They are followed by Syrians (eight percent) and migrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (seven percent).