Oxfam: 5,000 asylum seekers moving to mainland Greece

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS

The Athens government intends to transfer 5,000 people from the Greek islands to the mainland before the start of winter, head of mission of Oxfam in Greece Nicola Bay announced on Friday.

“Moving 5,000 people off the Greek islands will save their lives; [they are] currently living in congested camps in the Greek islands” Bay told Anadolu Agency.

Bay said this information has been circulating around NGOs; however, there has been no official announcement from the government side.

A thousand asylum seekers have already been moved to safer and better camps in the mainland Bay stated, but still a significant number remain living in harsh conditions in unheated tents and exposed to the cold.

A week ago 12 NGOs teamed up to urge the Greek government to end restrictions imposed on asylum seekers and to immediately transfer them to mainland.

“We would like to think that people are taking action in the digital campaign” Bay said “and that it has started to make a difference.”

As of Dec. 1, reception facilities on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos were almost 7,200 over capacity: 12,744 people were in facilities with a capacity of just 5,576 Oxfam stated.