September 11, 2020

Moria goes up in flames: Europe's ideals too?

topic:	Refugees and Asylum
located:	Greece, Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom
editor:	Gurmeet Singh

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding, right now, in Europe. The Moria migrant facility on the Greek island of Lesbos experienced a devastating fire, leaving 13,000 people sleeping in even worse conditions on the streets. Although it is currently unclear what started the fire, the Greek government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, said all eventualities were being studied and alluded to arson.

The BBC writes that Greek authorities have dispatched three ships to help some of the rough-sleeping migrants: “The Greek ferry Blue Star Chios has now docked at Sigri, a Lesbos port about 100km (60 miles) from the main town Mytilene. It has capacity to house 1,000 migrants, and Greece is also sending two naval vessels to provide emergency accommodation.

Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said about 2,000 people would be temporarily sheltered on the ships. He also said efforts were under way to provide shelter near the devastated Moria camp site.” It also commented that both Germany and France have publicly committed to taking in 400 unaccompanied minors from the camp. 400, from 13,000: Just over 3 per cent of the total number of people.

There have been small gatherings and demonstrations in European cities, such as Leipzig, in solidarity with the migrants, asking that the entire population of the camp be allowed into Europe. Coverage of the fire in more right-wing media such as Bild and The Daily Mail has also been met with predictable commentary about not letting migrants into Europe, about Europe being “too full”, and about the migrant children Germany and France have pledged to take in being “older” than they are being described, and thus disqualifying them from entry into Europe.

From both the Greek authorities and the EU, the response to the fire has been abysmal. But the fact that 13,000 people were improperly, unsafely and inadequately housed in a camp is the real scandal. The EU’s migration policy isolated Greece, and forced Greek authorities into an unsustainable position: that of simply dumping people onto the island, without adequate support structures from the EU. The Greek government did not behave responsibly enough in housing the refugees, but it should be remembered they had little recourse to wider European support; the Greek authorities have called for help once again.

Refugees were left to rely on unsafe migration routes and even faced obstruction from European national authorities. Relying on help from NGOs, charities and not-for-profit organisations like Sea-Watch, people travelling from Syria, Afghanistan, North Africa and elsewhere have been simply left on the island as a way to circumvent EU responsibility for the issue. The justification has been approximated as “EU nations are concerned about growing populism, so taking on refugees and migrants is untenable.” Or more recently, “Coronavirus prevents a safe response from EU nations.”

Neither of these responses seems adequate. The truth is, it’s not just a camp that went up in flames a few days ago, it’s also Europe’s treasured idea of itself as a liberal, tolerant and open place. When human beings are dumped onto an island into unsafe conditions, and little to no help given to them, it already violates the highest ideals in which we say we believe. But then, to offer to take only 3 per cent of those human beings is shameful. The EU does have the chance to redeem itself and its ideals however, in its response to the blaze.

The UNHCR and GlobalCitizen.org offer some concrete ways we can help out, including donation and political pressure. Please do all you can.

Image by UNHCR Greece

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