After a fire destroyed the Moria camp in September 2020, the reception procedure for migrants in Greece was supposed to improve. But, over the last year, the practice of "pushbacks" has become widespread and the conservative Greek government has passed several laws that significantly tighten the conditions for obtaining international protection in the country.
Christian* arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos from Turkey in September 2019. This young Congolese man lived for more than a year in the overcrowded Moria camp and then on the street after a fire destroyed it. He is currently living in the new Kara Tepe camp, which was supposed to be a temporary solution. But he tells InfoMigrants how this situation does not seem to be changing.
One year after a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp, living conditions in the facility on Lesbos are still preventing children from having access to normal schooling and a safe environment – yet both are crucial for their development.
"There will be no more Moria", was the promise made by Greek and European authorities after a fire destroyed the overcrowded camp on Lesbos in September 2020. A year later, living conditions on the island are still disastrous and Greece is creating new laws to restrict access to international protection.
After being denied a visa for France several times, Nadia* was finally evacuated from Kabul as part of the French airlift on August 23. From her quarantine in a hotel near Paris, she tells InfoMigrants about the day when she had to leave her whole life behind.
Nadia* worked in a French military camp in Afghanistan. Now she feels threatened by the Taliban because of her work with the French. After applying several times for a visa to get to France, she was always rejected. At the start of August, she spoke to InfoMigrants about her fears as the Taliban approached Kabul.
In Lithuania, some migrants have been detained for more than a month in camps hastily established by local authorities. They are exposed to harsh conditions and are isolated without access to information. The Lithuanian authorities say they don’t have the capacity to examine each individual claim for protection.
More than 4,000 migrants have arrived in Lithuania since the beginning of the year. In 2020, just 80 arrived. All have come from neighboring Belarus. Among those migrants are young African students who were tempted to cross the border but now find themselves stuck.
The Libyan port city of Zouara has issued a deadline for migrants. They are called upon to officially regularize their situation or they will be at risk of expulsion from the city. The Libyan municipality justified its decision by blaming it on a "raised crime rate".
Undocumented workers who are victims of work-related accidents must take steps to ensure that they are taken care of and obtain compensation if required. InfoMigrants explains the necessary steps.
From June 14 to 20, Utopia 56 collected testimonies from migrants saying they have been victims of serious police violence in Calais. The association is concerned about a sharp increase in police violence since the clashes at the beginning of the month between the Eritrean community and the police there.
Masomah Alizada is one of the 29 refugee athletes who will compete at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. She fled to France from Afghanistan after she and her cycling friends were threatened by the Taliban. Now, the 24-year-old wants to inspire other Afghan women to fight for their freedom.