UN’s Ban in Greece ahead of visit to Lesbos refugee camps

Over the past few months, Ban Ki-moon and other senior United Nations representatives have voiced concern over the EU-Turkey agreement, which have allowed for the potential forced return of thousands of refugees from Greece to Turkey. Greece deserves our deep admiration.

Ban praised Greeks for showing “remarkable solidarity…as Greece faces tremendous challenges of so many desperate people fleeing war and persecution”.

“The global community must do more to resolve conflicts and address the factors causing so much suffering and upheaval”, Ban said.

Image: Children stand around a solar powered charging station for mobile devices designed by a group of university students, at the municipality-run camp of Kara Tepe on the island of Lesbos, Greece, June 14, 2016. “I call on the countries of Europe to respond with a human and human rights-based approach”.

Around a million people crossed the Aegean Seas from Turkey to Greek islands past year in small, inflatable and often overcrowded boats.

Amnesty’s Giorgos Kosmopoulos (https://twitter.com/GiorgosKosmop) has made several trips to Lesbos and Chios – including inside the Moria and VIAL detention centres – since the EU-Turkey deal came into effect. Accidents were frequent, and hundreds of people drowned.

There is also an estimated 48,000 migrants on the Greek mainland many of whose hopes of continuing to other European countries have been dashed following a wave of border closures across the Balkans.

Meanwhile, Tsipras told reporters that great efforts are being made to house and care for thousands of trapped refugees, but stressed that Greece can not shoulder the burden alone.

On Friday, medical aid group Doctors Without Borders said it would no longer accept funding from the European Union in protest at its “shameful” migration policies, including the Turkey deal.

After the meeting, there was a press conference, after which point the UN Secretary-General travelled to the island of Lesvos, where he will meet with refugees, asylum seekers and volunteers.