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Most of the refugees on Lesbos now have a place in a new tent camp, very close to the burned-out Moria camp. Much is still provisional, and the future remains uncertain.
By Thomas Bormann, ARD-Studio Istanbul
Everyday life is back on the island of Lesbos. The road north of the island’s capital, Mytilini, belongs to cars again. Until last Friday, thousands of refugees had to sleep here in the open air. In the meantime, however, they are all housed in the new temporary tent camp.
Soldiers, construction workers and members of aid organizations pitched a town of tents for 10,000 people in record time. Help came from all over Europe. Germany’s technical aid organization, for example, sent 1,400 camp beds. In Omid Alizadah and her family’s tent, however, there are still no beds:
“No, there are no beds. Only sheets and blankets. Many sleep on the bare floor. There are only tents here, the tents do not have their own floor, no tables or something like that, and no beds.
Much of the warehouse is still temporary.
Omid Alizadeh reports from the camp by cell phone. She comes from Afghanistan, like most of the refugees on Lesbos. Much of the new camp is still very tentative, he says, the food supply is tight; There are still not enough washing facilities; The water pipes have not yet been installed. Then add:
“But I don’t just want to complain now, because the camp was set up very quickly. They promised us: everything should be ready next week. The authorities, the aid organizations here are working very hard on that. So we have the promises and that this camp will really be better than Moria. ”
Not all are as understanding as Afghanistan’s Omid Alizadeh. Most of the refugees just want to escape the island. At the same time, the local Lesbos population is strictly against the camp, which is still expanding.
Refugee Agency Appeals
Philippe Leclerc from the United Nations Refugee Agency makes an appeal during his visit to Lesbos:
“We ask everyone: the refugees, the neighborhood communities, the authorities: be patient and efficient.”
An appeal to all to remain calm, but to lend a hand, to make life in the camp more bearable for the refugees.
Arsonists all in custody
Migration Minister Mitarakis emphasizes that Moria’s six suspected arsonists are now in custody – young men who had lived in the camp. They will serve their sentences and then be expelled, the minister said. His message: Those who become criminals cannot count on mercy. However, the minister promises the 10,000 refugees in the new camp that their asylum procedures will now be completed quickly, within a few months.
Meanwhile, around 250 refugees have tested positive for the corona virus. They will be isolated in a separate area from the new camp. The other refugees are now allowed to leave the camp during the day to run errands or go for a walk, says Omid, adding:
“It is still too early to say: this camp is bad. We will see very soon if they fulfill their promises and this camp improves.”
And no Moria 2. Fifteen days after the Moria fire, it seems that the situation on the island of Lesbos has eased somewhat.
