Greece: Transfer Refugees and Asylum seekers to Safety on Mainland
Respect for Human Rights should Prevail over Use of Force
Following yesterday's fire in Moria, on Lesvos, which destroyed the Reception and Identification Centre, 31 civil society organizations call on the Greek Government to immediately provide assistance to people who lost their shelter. Those affected, among them many children and at-risk groups, must be carefully transferred to safety on the mainland.
The transfer of at-risk groups, including unaccompanied children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, people with medical and mental health conditions, and older people should be prioritized. People who tested positive for Covid-19 should be given safe housing for the quarantine period, healthcare, and hospitalization if necessary.
Moving people from Lesvos to mainland Greece requires finding urgent solutions to address the fact that many current housing facilities for refugees and asylum seekers are at full capacity. We urge the Greek authorities to work on a coherent plan that maximises all available resources including those from the EU and we renew our call to European leaders to share the responsibility for the reception and support of asylum seekers now more than ever.
In these difficult times, it is of outmost importance that respect for human rights is at the centre of the response to the fire at Moria, and that authorities do not resort to use of force or inflammatory language, but take appropriate steps to de-escalate any risk of violence.
ACTIONAID HELLAS
BOAT REFUGEE FOUNDATION
Médecins Sans Frontières
Amnesty International
NETWORK FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
CRWI Diotima
ECHO100PLUS
ELIX
HELLENIC LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
HELLENIC PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
EQUAL RIGHTS BEYOND BORDERS
FENIX – HUMANITARIAN LEGAL AID
HELP REFUGEES
Hias Greece
HUMANRIGHTS360
HUMANITARIAN LEGAL AID
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC)
INTERSOS HELLAS
LEGAL CENTRE LESVOS
Melissa
OMNES
REFUGEE LEGAL SUPPORT (RLS)
REFUGEE RIGHTS EUROPE (RRE)
REFUGEE TRAUMA INITIATIVE
SOLIDARITY NOW
Symbiosis - School of Political Studies in Greece
TERRE DES HOMMES HELLAS
THE HOME PROJECT
REFUGEE SUPPORT AEGEAN (RSA)
*UPDATE* 14.09.20
The following 17 organisations have also endorsed the letter after its publication, increasing the number of signatories from 31 to 48:
ANTIGONE - Information and Documentation Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non Violence
Are You Syrious?
ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
CEAR (Spanish Commission for Refugees)
Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki
Generation 2.0 RED
Greek Housing Network
InterVolve – Irida Center
Lesvos Solidarity
MEDECINS DU MONDE – GREECE (MDM - GREECE)
Mobile Info Team
Odyssea
Safe Passage International
Solomon
Wave – Thessaloniki
World Refugee and Migration Council
ZEUXIS
