Thread by @Faloulah

Latest info from Moria from the NGO worker's assembly also a #thread will follow: 2 fires broke out on Sunday afternoon: one outside which was soon put put and one inside the hotspot for unknown reasons but certainly not because of fights among #refugeesGR. 1/

The second fire started near or inside a container, it spread quickly and it burnt 8 containers completely and 12 in total. 1 #refugeesGR woman and a child are confirm dead but it's highly possible there are more. 2/

#RefugeesGR tried to put out the fire and the police responded with teargas during the time one fire brigade vehicle was entering the camp. This infuriated people who then attacked the vehicle. Confrontariom among rhe poloce and refugees followed. 3/

#RefugeesGR evacuated the camp areas. Many were treated at the @MSFgreece clinic which was outside the camp. Many injured were taken to the hospital of Mytiline. 4/

The police chief and the deputy minister of citizen's protection are going to Lesvos from Athens. Police restricted access to the camp. 5/

Now let's put things into perspective. Here are the facts: fire breaks out (woman and child die; many are injured) - #refugeesGR rush to put out the fire before the fire brigade arrives - police respond with teargas - teargas along with fumes create an unbearable atmosphere - 6/

Riots break out - police keep using teargas - camp is evacuated - add as to those who rush to help is restricted - #refugeesGR end up in hospital - police chief and deputy minister rush to the island. 7/

What happened is an immediate result of the #EUTurkeyDeal, Greece and the EU's migration policies. If situation continues like this, what we saw yesterday is just the beginning of what is going to happen. 7/

In 2016 the EU and Turkey agrees on cutting down refugee flows. Numbers immediately dropped but never stopped. Since then #RefugeesGR who arrived in Greece have to file their asylum application on the island they arrive. Applications cannot be examined in the mainland. 8/

This created what we call a geographical restriction. If you wisj for an exagerated comparison Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos became Greece's Nauru. 9/

So the islands became a testing ground for the EU's hotspot approach - a migration policy that, put simply, creates reception and identification centres in which newly arrived #refugeesGR are screened and asylum applications are processed 10/

A sidenote here: those who are considered vulnerable usually have their restriction lifted. 10.1/

This system worked until a backlog of applications was created and until the number of arrivals rose again (various geopolitical and Turkey politics reasons for that) 11/

Fast forward to the summer of 2019. Number of arrivals increase to a degree that reminds us of 2015. Due to the #EUTurkeyDeal and geographical restriction people stay in Moria. Moria has a capacity of 3000. It currently has 13000 people. #refugeesGR

Conditions are far from humane. We talked about it here: Lesbos: Hellish conditions for refugees in Moria
p.dw.com/p/3PPM2

12/

Since August and due to the situation: a 15yo #refugeesGR was stabbed to death, a child was killed by a truck, people drowned in a shipwreck, 2 died in a fire. 13/

In the meantime the new Greek government put the responsibility of the refugee crisis management to the Ministry of Citizen's Protection (aka ministry responsible of the police). Which showcases the intention of considering the crisis as a security issue. #RefugeesGR 14/

By considering the refugee crisis and the situation on the islands from a security and not a humanitarian perspective is simply wrong. By puting the Greek police in charge of it's management is even worse. 15/

There are no easy solutions to the issue. #RefugeesGR will keep on coming because the majority of them are fleeing war zones. 16/

Every time there is an emergency the EU simply pours more money to Greece, Italy, Turkey .. instead of taking responsibility and developing humanitarian and sustainable policies that do not strip people off their dignity 17/

#refugeesGR

The experiment of the hotspot approach as it's being tested on the Greek islands has failed. If the same model continues we're going to see more death 17/
#refugeesGR

But let's say things bluntly shall we? All of this would have been avoided in the EU took responsibility of their actions; if they provided safe passage and if instead of pouring money to keep people out, gave money and expertise for integration. #RefugeesGR 18/

With this approach Greece rushes to implement measures that will not work (see changes in asylum process) and more mistakes will happen. 19/

It's been 5 years. I've been writing this same thread for 5 bloody years once or twice a year. Nothing has changed. Instead it's become much worse. Moria is the largest refugee camp is Europe and it's an absolute shame. Human rights violations in itself. 20/20