Greece inaugurates its first 'closed' camp for asylum seekersGreece will inaugurate the first of five new "closed" migrant camps on its Aegean islands on SaturdaySAMOS (GREECE) - Greece on Saturday inaugurated the first of five new "closed" migrant camps, opposed by rights groups who say the strict access measures are too restrictive. Asylum seekers still live there -- rats, improvised wooden barracks without heating and a lack of toilets and showers continue to be part of their daily lives. Last week, dozens of NGOs, including Amnesty International, accused Greece of pursuing "harmful policies focused on deterring and containing asylum seekers and refugees". "The word 'closed' comes up often and this is concerning," Mireille Girard said, adding "asylum seekers need protection, they are not criminals or a risk for the community, they are people who need help. Greece was the main point where more than one million asylum seekers -- mainly Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans -- entered Europe in 2015.

Source: Bangkok Post September 18, 2021 14:47 UTC