In this discussion, Matina Stevis-Gridneff, a New York Times journalist and expert on the European refugee crisis, sheds light on the harrowing conditions faced by asylum seekers in Moria, Greece. She recounts how a devastating fire exacerbated an already dire situation for over 20,000 refugees. As frustrations boiled over due to squalid conditions and pandemic restrictions, tensions ignited chaos. Matina emphasizes the human stories behind the statistics, including the plight of families and children amidst this humanitarian crisis.
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2015 Refugee Crisis
In 2015, Europe faced a refugee crisis as people fled conflict in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere.
Germany initially welcomed refugees, offering safe haven to around one million Syrians.
insights INSIGHT
Moria Camp's Purpose
Moria camp was established on the Greek island of Lesbos as a temporary processing center for asylum seekers.
Initial Greek response was positive, with locals showing compassion despite their own economic hardships.
insights INSIGHT
EU-Turkey Deal
In 2016, the EU and Turkey struck a deal.
Turkey would stem the flow of migrants in exchange for funds, impacting refugees stranded in Moria.
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Among the olive groves of Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos, a makeshift city of tents and containers housed thousands of asylum seekers who had fled conflict and hardship in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Already frustrated at the deplorable conditions, inhabitants’ anger was compounded by coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The situation reached a breaking point this month when fires were set, probably by a small group of irate asylum seekers, according to the authorities. The flames decimated the camp and stranded nearly 12,000 of its residents in the wild among tombstones in a nearby cemetery and on rural and coastal roads.
We chart the European refugee crisis and the events that led up to the blaze at Moria.
The fires at the Moria camp have intensified what was already a humanitarian disaster. Originally built to hold 3,000 newly arrived people, it held more than 20,000 refugees six months ago
The camp’s inhabitants had for years resented the squalid conditions and the endless delays in resolving their fates. Those frustrations collided with the restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus, and the combination has proved explosive.
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