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Police arrested six suspected arsonists following the devastating fires in the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos. Meanwhile, a fire breaks out on the Greek island of Samos.
Greek police arrested six suspected arsonists following the destruction of the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos. Greek authorities believe the fire was deliberately set by inmates after quarantine rules were established when several refugees tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Moria camp, which was home to more than 12,000 people, was devastated by the great fire last week. Initial reports indicated that fires broke out in various parts of the camp.
A fire broke out in Samos
Meanwhile, a fire broke out on the Greek island of Samos near the refugee camp there on Tuesday night. The fire brigade managed to control the fire on Tuesday, the island’s online portal “Samos Today” reported. The camp is not in danger, Stantzos told Thema 104.6 radio station. He had previously expressed concern and feared that the migrants’ shops could also catch fire.
The media also reported the first arrests: the police had arrested several men on suspicion of arson. It was not clear at first who the men were and what motives they were pursuing.
According to the Greek Ministry of Migration, around 4,600 migrants live in the Vathy refugee camp in Samos. However, the camp only has space for about 650 people. Two people tested positive for the corona virus at the camp on Tuesday.
“You want to get off the island”
After the fire in Lesbos last week, thousands of homeless migrants refuse to move into newly built makeshift shelters. Instead, they asked again Tuesday to be allowed to leave the island. “We informed them that they had to go to the facility, but they refused,” said a police representative who did not want to be named. “You want to get off the island.”
Moria: The refugee camp was completely destroyed by fire. (Source: Reuters)
Most of the people, who come mainly from Afghanistan, Syria and Africa, suffer without shelter, sanitary facilities and food. The government announced that only 1,000 migrants have wanted to go to a new temporary camp in the Kara Tepe region, which is already equipped with 5,000 beds and is being expanded. Thousands more, men, women and children, spent the night outside the roadside facility. They fear that living conditions in the new camp will be as bad as in Moria and hope that they will leave the island.
A new permanent warehouse will be built
“No one will leave Lesbos without being on the interim camp first,” Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisohoidis said on Skai radio station. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that in any case, a permanent reception camp for refugees would be established on Lesbos to replace the destroyed Moria camp. This was originally designed for around 2,800 people. Lesbos is close to the Turkish coast, which is why many immigrants were stranded there.
But so far only a few hundred refugees, mostly unaccompanied minors, have been allowed to leave Lesbos. Germany now wants to host about 1,500 refugees. The Greek authorities have stated that there will be no mass transfers to the mainland and that all immigrants must first go to the new accommodation on Lesbos.
