Oxfam reaction to situation at the Greek border with Turkey

“Governments are using people fleeing violence and persecution as pawns in a political game to avoid taking responsibility. There is no justification for the decision to leave people stranded in a no-man’s land at borders without access to food, shelter and medical care.

“Instead of supporting Greece’s efforts to keep people trapped at its external border, other countries should remember their humanitarian and legal obligations and make sure that these women, men and children are safe.

“The announcement by the Greek government that it will not accept asylum requests for one month is gravely concerning. Greece and other European countries must cooperate to share responsibility for those arriving and support them to rebuild their lives. In particular, they should urgently relocate children and other vulnerable people from Greece to safe places in Europe.

“It’s also imperative that they improve the dire conditions in refugee camps on the Greek Islands and transfer people to safe and dignified conditions on the mainland.”

/Ends

Notes to editors:
• Evelien van Roemburg is available for interviews.
• Read our latest update on the situation of migrants on the Greek islands from January 2020 and our report ‘No-Rights Zone’ from December 2019.