As Project Elpida’s campaign in Northern Greece approaches, it is important to take a look at the situation faced by displaced people living in the region. For this purpose, this month’s Advocacy Blog post will focus on the findings related to life in the camps of Northern Greece as published in a July 2024 report by Mobile Info Team and Refugee Legal Support.
The document provides a deep-dive into the living conditions and access to services for people seeking asylum across all major regions of mainland Greece. Specifically, the collaboration of the two organizations produced a comprehensive overview over life in the camps near the cities of Corinth (Peloponnese), Ioannina (Western Macedonia), Serres (Central Macedonia) Larissa (Thessaly), Inofyta (Boeotia), Ritsona (Attica), and Thessaloniki. During the investigation a bleak picture of neglect and mismanagement emerged - though it has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in comparison to the major media attention often focused on Greece’s island facilities.
Key findings include the problematic location of these facilities – often being remote and providing little to no access to social life and essential services outside the camp – as well as the stark contrast between the financial investments poured into securitization measures (i.e. surveillance systems) and the overall infrastructural mismanagement of the camps. Notably, camp inhabitants receive insufficient funds to cover everyday costs, and people classified as vulnerable do not have their needs met by their “physical environments,” suffering a “critical lack of access to support.”
ACROSS MAINLAND GREECE, CAMPS LACK BASIC HYGIENIC INFRASTRUCTURE
The report not only defines the history and structural characteristics of each camp, but gives space for inhabitants to share their stories of living in these camps themselves, crucially speaking in their own voice. Interviewees were also encouraged to share pictures depicting the inhumane living conditions they endure in their daily lives. The poor hygienic infrastructure was made clear through photos of large-scale cockroach infestations, unmaintained bathroom and WC facilities, and kitchens so old their usage poses a fire hazard. A young resident of the Kavala camp describes the rotten wood of a facility’s floor which contaminates other objects – something that administrative staff refuses to remove despite continued requests. Similarly, residents of the Lagkadikia camp in the Thessaloniki area have been denied their request to change the function of the washing machines, which operates for merely 15 minutes at a time.
THE ISSUE OF INTERSECTING PROBLEMS: INACCESSIBLE ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Access to vital services such as language interpreters, transportation and healthcare provision is also minimal – and often nonexistent – within the camps. When a young mother living in the Kavala camp requested medicine for her physically ill child, she was instructed to buy medicine in the local market, despite her insufficient funds. Reportedly, doctors and administrative staff did not cover the cost nor provide her with medicine onsite. The absence of these services are strongly intertwined, creating intersectional barriers for camp residents. Due to the lack of transportation options, a resident of the Serres camp told interviewers they had repeatedly been forced to pay for a taxi into the city in order to seek medical assistance, which accounted for a significant financial restraint. Similarly, with interpreters and translators largely absent from facilities, a woman residing in the Lagkadikia camp is forced to use her phone during doctor’s appointments, creating a language barrier which inhibits her access to proper treatment. The lack of adequate infrastructure also poses a health risk, with a middle-aged male resident of the Katsikas camp reporting aggravated cancer symptoms due to the stress he suffers from the living conditions in a dilapidated container. Reports about the poor quality of the food provided in the Lagkadikia and Ritsona camp reiterate the inhumane living conditions faced by forcibly displaced people in Northern Greece.
HIGH SECURITY, NO SAFETY
An additional safety issue is created by the spatial conditions themselves, with interviewees expressing fear and uncertainty due to their cohabitation with complete strangers, a lack of personal space, and the refusal or inability of administration staff to intervene in situations of heightened conflict. It is important to point out that the physical characteristics of camp facilities have rapidly and radically changed in the past few years, from open structures to what can now only be described as enclosures. These “Controlled Access Facilities” force displaced people into a life of immobility, leading to a sense of entrapment. This feeling is intensified due to the physical surroundings, consisting of high-tech surveillance systems and fences, which are regularly patrolled by private security personnel.
A DIFFICULT TASK OF CREATING HOPE
Unfortunately, an end date for people living in these inhumane conditions is unforeseeable. Residents remain unclear on the progress of their asylum applications, and due to the limited legal support camp inhabitants receive, it is difficult to remain optimistic. The 50-page report by Mobile Info Team and Refugee Legal Support crucially exposes these conditions from the perspective of camp residents, making first-hand reports from inside the camps publicly accessible. While we have roughly outlined the investigation’s findings, the final chapter of the full document, “Voices from the Camps,” shares many stories of displaced people across mainland Greece. During our upcoming campaign to Northern Greece, we at Project Elpida will work together with on-site partners to undertake the important mission of improving the living conditions faced by refugees and migrants in these regions.
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