Greece: Largest migrant center destroyed by fire

 

The largest migrant center in Greece has been destroyed by fire. The Maurya camp was overcrowded. The fire was so intense that ten fire brigade vehicles were used to extinguish it and 25 crew members took part in the rescue operation. Some of the migrants living in the center were also injured in the accident. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. Some allege that the fire was started by people at the center, while others blame local Greeks. Police have set up barricades on the roads leading to the camp to prevent migrants from fleeing to nearby towns. The fire left thousands of migrants homeless and authorities are having a hard time finding an alternative. The Greek government has declared a four-day state of emergency. German Foreign Minister Heikomas called the blaze a "humanitarian catastrophe" and said in a tweet that the refugees would be "divided into EU countries" that are willing to allow them to enter. As the refugees were passing through a town near the center after the fire reportedly broke out, some locals attacked them and prevented them from passing. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it knew there was "tension" between refugees and locals. "We urge all (parties) to exercise restraint," the agency said, urging camp residents to "restrict their movement" until a temporary arrangement is made. And stay close to the camp. ”There were about 13,000 people in the center of Moria, which is four times the capacity of the center. According to InfoMigrant, 70% of the refugees in the camp are from Afghanistan, but there are migrants from more than 70 countries. The head of the local fire brigade said that fire broke out at three places in the center at short intervals. Speaking on a state-run TV channel, he added that those who were protesting inside the camp at the time had stopped firefighters from doing their job. Although the official said that there were still light fires in some places inside the camp, the big fire was brought under control by Wednesday morning. A local man told the BBC that almost the entire camp was on fire. The deputy governor of the island of Lesbos, Ars Hatzicominanas, told a local radio station that the camp had been "completely destroyed". Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsutakis held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning, after which several members of his cabinet left for Lisbon. The European Commission has offered to help Greece in its relief efforts. Margaret Schniss, vice-president of the European Commission, said she had spoken to the Greek prime minister and told him that the commission was ready to help Greece directly in this difficult time. Authorities quarantined the camp last week after a Somali man tested positive for the coronavirus. So far, 35 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the camp.

According to the Greek news agency ANA, the fire started after some of the 35 people refused to go to quarantine with their families. However, this news has not been confirmed yet. Remember that these days there are fires in some places in the forests of Lesbos which can spread here and there due to strong winds. The deputy mayor for civil protection, Michaels Fratzskos, said the fire was set "knowingly". Refugee tents were empty inside the camp and firefighters took advantage of the strong winds. But some migrants told BBC Farsi that the fire started after a scuffle between migrants and Greek security forces. Many migrants allege that "far-right Greeks" set the camp on fire when cases of the coronavirus were announced. According to these immigrants, these extremist Greeks used (oil) canisters to set fire. An official spokesman said the alleged arson was being investigated and a state of emergency could be declared across the island of Lesbos. Marco Snyderron, coordinator of the MSF, the international welfare medical organization for Lesbos, told the BBC it was difficult to say what caused the fire, as there were demonstrations in many places in the camp and fires in many places. Was engaged. "It was a time bomb that exploded," he said. He added that people in the camp were being held in an "inhumane environment". According to reports, after the fire, when the refugees tried to enter the coastal town of Matilin with their equipment, they were prevented from entering. Many refugees had to spend the night in the fields. According to reports, the mayor of the town told local radio that "this is a very difficult situation because the people standing outside the town may include people with the coronavirus. Morea refugee camp Lesbos." Located northeast of the capital, Matilda, the camp was built for only 2,000 people but was under increasing pressure due to the growing number of refugees, followed by a new center called Kara Tipi Camp. However, due to the influx of new refugees, the space in these centers became less and less. "Their asylum application is not decided. It is a slow process and the red tape does not give a timely decision on these applications. In the past, the European Union has been trying to resettle these refugees in its member countries." However, all member states have been rejecting many of the proposals in this regard. Lying down Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized the lack of facilities in the camps.