In a report issued on 30 July, Amnesty International states that Greece must change the law to stop people seeking asylum from being locked up in the EU-funded “Closed Controlled Access Centre” on the island of Samos. The organisation also calls for the EU to hold Greece accountable for human rights violations in the centre and ensure that the new Migration and Asylum Pact does not copy this model.
After the Moria refugee camp on Lesvos was destroyed by fire in 2020, the European Commission provided €276 million to build new centres. The Samos centre was overcrowded from June 2023 to January 2024. It housed 4,850 residents in facilities meant for 2,040 people. People were placed in kitchens, classrooms and containers, with no new accommodation added. The influx strained resources, causing water shortages and no doctors. Healthcare services were uncertain after health worker contracts expired on 30 June 2023. The new EU-funded project “Hippocrates” is still pending, raising concerns about Greece’s ability to provide healthcare for asylum seekers.
This research took place between December 2023 and July 2024. It involved meetings, interviews and exchanges. Participants included residents, representatives of the Greek authorities, organisations and UN agencies.
On the cover photo, new Refugee camp on Samos island (Greece), an hotspot funded by the European Union to host asylum seekers ©Nicolas Economou/Shutterstock.com
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