The already inhumane conditions in migration hotspots on Greek islands have been worsening for months. Here's what options exist to ameliorate the situation — and why they don't seem to take.
The EU's Political and Security Committee has approved a three-month extension for Operation Sophia, the bloc's mission against human trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea whose mandate was set to expire on December 31. But there are still many issues regarding border protection and migration that the 28 EU countries disagree on.
More than 4,000 refugees and migrants currently reside on the Greek island of Samos, and the refugee camp with a capacity for only 700 people is bursting. Poor hygiene and harsh weather conditions are posing a threat to the migrant population. The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR warns the situation could escalate to become as catastrophic as on the neighboring island of Lesbos.
The UN agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that nearly 111,000 migrants reached Europe by sea in 2018. The Mediterranean is the deadliest route for migrants traveling to Europe with 2,160 victims registered so far this year, the IOM said.
Hundreds of migrants and refugees, mainly from Afghanistan and Africa, are stuck on Chios island in the Northern Aegean Sea. Local authorities want to close the refugee camp.
About 4,000 migrants and refugees are trapped on the island of Samos in Greece. Most of them live in provisional tents, facing a tough winter.
The UN Migration Agency IOM wants Greece to set up more shelters for unaccompanied minor migrants as winter approaches. IOM staff teams have been deployed to eight facilities temporarily set up in hotels.
The UN agency for migration IOM says it has provided shelter and services to over 1,000 unaccompanied migrant minors in Greece so far this year, thanks to a project funded by the European Union.
The International Organization for Migration said that migrant arrivals in Europe from the Mediterranean have reached a total of 106,269 people so far in 2018, while the victims thus far this year have reached a total of 2,119.
Amnesty International visited the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, and in a letter to Greece's Prime minister defines it "a scar on the conscience of Europe."
Authorities in Greece are being sued over the death of a migrant on Lesbos. It is the first time anyone has demanded compensation for the conditions suffered by refugees on the island.
Human Rights Watch is denouncing living conditions for asylum seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos, where it said the terrible conditions could worsen into a humanitarian disaster as winter arrives.