Moria migrants move into tent city after fire destroys Greek camp; suspicions of sabotage

On September 13, a few of the thousand asylum seekers who were left homeless after fires moved into temporary tent housing in Greece. According to the reports by AP, more than 100 people moved into the new camp built with UNHCR tents. Greece's Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis is reported to have said that a total of 1,000 Moria residents will be relocated to the new tent city. He added that those who are entering the new camp will have to go through rapid testing for the novel coronavirus and also mentioned that 5 new cases have been reported so far.

New permanent refugee camp

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed some residents of the camp for trying to blackmail the Greek government by 'deliberately' setting the fires. According to reports, the blaze has left about 3,500 living in and around the Lesbos island camp homeless. The European Union has over the years made various attempts to resettle these migrants that have poured in from different countries. However, very few people were transferred from the Moria camps of Greece. Moria migrant camp was set up back in 2015-16 and was constituted to handle the massive wave of migration into Europe. The camp is currently occupied by people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and was originally designed to house 2,750 people.

Read: Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis Urges Greater EU Involvement On Migration After Moria Fire

At a press conference, Mitsotakis said, “It (the burning of Moria) was a tragedy. These images were bad. It was a warning bell to all to become sensitized. Europe cannot afford a second failure on the migration issue”. The Greek Prime Minister added that he has been in touch with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the reallocation of at least some migrants from Moria. However, he added that there will be a new permanent refugee camp on Lesbos.

Read: Moria Migrants: Greece Sends Three Ships To Help Shelter 13,000 Refugees After Fire

At least 10 European Union Member States have agreed to take in some 400 unaccompanied minor migrants from Greece. EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson informed on September 9 that all 400 unaccompanied children and teenagers have been flown to mainland Greece adding that the safety and shelter of all people in Moria is the priority. As per reports, Germany and France will take in 100-150 migrants each, while the Netherlands will accept 50. Finland is also expected to take in 11 minors with countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, and Portugal taking the remaining. Meanwhile, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have refused to take any migrants, which sheds light on the European Union's outdated migrant policy.

Read: Locals In Lesbos Oppose Moria Camp Reconstruction

Also Read: Moria Migrants Clash With Local Police While Protesting Over New Camp, Face Tear Gas

(Image Credits: AP)