21 Jul 15 28 Nov 16

Greece: MSF urges action on the reception crisis faced by thousands of migrants

Thousands of migrants and asylum seekers are currently stranded in precarious conditions across several Greek islands, despite repeated calls to Greek authorities and the EU to address the lack of reception capacity.

Testimonies from the Kara Tepe refugee camp

A Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency response team has arrived in Lesbos - one of the two islands in Greece that has reception facilities, but where the system is on the edge of collapse. MSF is also continuing its existing activities for migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Kos and other Dodecanese islands.

Poor conditions on arrival

Approximately 5,000 people, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, have arrived in Lesbos in the last few days. However, the existing Moria reception facility can only accommodate around 700 people, and suffers from overcrowding, poor hygiene conditions and a lack of food.

Thousands of new arrivals are therefore forced to camp out in the open, most of them in Kara Tepe - a plot of land without any form of management and where people have little or no access to water, shelter, latrines or medical care.

Despite efforts by authorities to distribute food, the rations are insufficient to cover the needs of all people.

Skin infections

In Kos where MSF provides medical and humanitarian assistance to people arriving on the island, 700 people are sleeping on the floor among rubble and shattered glass in an old dilapidated building with a maximum capacity of 200.


Despite MSF’s efforts to clean and improve the water and sanitation provision, conditions can only be significantly improved by action and willingness by the local authorities to address the situation.

Violation of the EU's obligations


“The current situation is a violation of Greece's and the EU's obligations towards asylum seekers and migrants. Given the deep economic crisis that Greece is facing, it cannot be assumed that Greece can cope with this alone.

Humanitarian resources urgently needed

“The EU and its member states should urgently deploy humanitarian resources such as emergency funding and material assistance to support Greece in responding to the basic needs of newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers. UNHCR also needs to take direct responsibility, translate their words into real action, and step up its response in delivering humanitarian assistance” added Kyroussis.

Putting health at risk


“Greek authorities should provide additional places under administrative responsibility of the state, where humanitarian assistance, such as food, shelter, sanitation and medical care can be provided by other organisations.

“Authorities also need to ensure that efficient registration procedures are put in place, and that new arrivals are provided with information about what to do and where to go.”

Improving sanitation

MSF plans to soon provide medical consultations, cleaning services and relief items and work on improving water and sanitation in the Kara Tepe and Moria camps.

MSF has already begun providing bus transportation so new arrivals do not need to walk the seventy kilometre distance from arrival points on the north coast to the registration centre in Mitilini.

Testimonies from the Kara Tepe refugee camp