Temporary Kara Tepe Refugee Camp Explained

The temporary Kara Tepe camp is a refugee camp located in the area of Mavrovouni, north of Mytilene on the island of Lesvos, Greece, which was constructed following fires which destroyed Moria refugee camp on and after 8 September 2020.[1] It is located next to, although separated from, the other, longstanding Kara Tepe Refugee Camp which still houses a number of asylum seekers.

Construction and Entry into the Camp

Residents were forced to spend days sleeping along a main road before they could enter the new temporary camp. [2] [3] that had been closed off by army vehicles after the fire. They were then slowly admitted to the new camp after being tested for coronavirus.[4] Approximately 243 people tested positive for the virus upon entry to the camp.[5] Those who tested positive were immediately quarantined.

Multiple aid groups and Greek political party Syriza criticised the Greek government for building the facility on the Kara Tepe site, which abuts the sea on two sides and is exposed to the elements.[6] By October 2020, it was reported that 80 tents had already been destroyed by the severe weather.[7] The location was selected after the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) brought an expert group of engineers from five EU countries to assess suitability of several locations on the island.[8] The EU contributed 5.36 million Euros to the installation of this facility.[9] Greek authorities state that the facility is temporary however a permanent facility would not be expected to be ready until late 2021.[10] The site was previously used as a firing range by the Greek army,[11] and concerns have been raised about both unexploded bombs and the possibility of lead poisoning.[12] [13] [14]

Conditions in the Camp

In December 2020, the camp accommodated approximately 7200 asylum seekers.[15] Reports state that it fails to provide for many basic human needs.[16] [17] There have been multiple floods of the tents due to the location of the camp.[18] There are only temporary toilets.[19] Food is generally reported to be insufficient and of poor quality.[20] There are mixed reports around the reliability and safety of the electricity supply,[21] with at least one fire having been started in the new tents as a result of the poor electrics.

Security

Entry and exit to and from the camp remains tightly controlled. Exit is only permitted between 07:00 and 21:00.[22] This was initially implemented as part of the governments COVID response plan, but when lockdown rules eased for local Greek residents, tight restrictions remained in place for the refugees living in the camp. The police presence in the new camp is significantly more than the old camp,[23] and residents are examined for weapons on re-entry.[24] Violence within the camp has considerably reduced. More stringent measures are being taken to prevent NGOs accessing the camp.

Coronavirus

COVID testing has been implemented by EODY in partnership with the WHO.[25] Contact tracing is highly challenging due to the large numbers of people living in each tent, and crowding in queues for basic amenities.[26] Masks are mandatory everywhere in the camp and are generally provided by NGOs. Water and soap are offered at a handful of handwashing stations, This requires most refugees to walk some distance through crowds or across muddy ground.[27]

Education

Education in the camp, as in Moria camp, is extremely limited,[28] despite thousands of children spending significant periods of their life in the facilities. Covid-19 rules have further impacted provision. There are NGOs available to provide education[29] however as of January 2021 there are only 3 tents available for this purpose. Some NGOs have had to limit their programs due to the pandemic.[30] Residents of the camp wishing to organise their own education reportedly face even more hurdles in trying to secure a suitable location.[31]

The Future

It is expected that the residents of this camp will be moved to the permanent facility within the next year. The new camp will reportedly include living containers, health care facilities as well as recreational spaces and areas for education.[32] It will have capacity for 5000 people and was scheduled be completed by summer 2022.[33] However, the greek Counsil of State revoked the construction permit, due to a lack of an environmental study, and construction work has since been put on hold.[34]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MacGregor. Marion. Moria 2.0: The new Lesbos refugee camp. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants.
  2. Web site: Protogiros. Dukas. 10 October 2020. One month after the Moria fire, the mental health of refugees continues to suffer. 23 January 2021. International Rescue Committee (IRC). en.
  3. Web site: Papadimas. Lefteris. 10 September 2020. Lesbos migrants sleep on roadsides; housing will take days. 23 January 2021. Reuters. en.
  4. Web site: Papadimas. Lefteris. 10 September 2020. Lesbos migrants sleep on roadsides; housing will take days. 23 January 2021. Reuters. en.
  5. Web site: 21 September 2020. Lesbos: Hundreds test positive for Covid-19 after migrant camp fire. 23 January 2021. BBC News.
  6. Web site: The Refugee Brief - 9 October 2020 . UNHCR - The Refugee Brief . 23 January 2021 . 9 October 2020.
  7. Web site: Wagner. Jennifer. Lesbos: Is another Moria in the making? DW 12.10.2020. 23 January 2021. DW.COM.
  8. Web site: Press corner. 23 January 2021. European Commission - European Commission. en.
  9. Web site: Managing Migration, EU Financial Support to Greece. 23 January 2021. ec.europa.eu.
  10. Web site: MacGregor. Marion. 25 November 2020. Lesbos camp: Asylum seekers fend for themselves as winter looms. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  11. Web site: Sanderson. Sertan. 22 September 2020. More than 240 new COVID-19 infections among migrants on Lesbos. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  12. Web site: Yeung. Peter. Kapantais. Pavlos. 'I found three bullets next to my tent where I sleep'. 23 January 2021. www.aljazeera.com. en.
  13. Web site: Carassava. Anthee. Children in danger from unexploded bombs in Lesbos refugee camp. 23 January 2021. The Times. en.
  14. Web site: Απάντηση σε δημοσιεύματα: Kάτω από τα διεθνή όρια τα επίπεδα μόλυβδου στους χώρους φιλοξενίας στο προσωρινό ΚΥΤ Μαυροβουνίου Λέσβου . Migration.gov.gr . 23 January 2021.
  15. Web site: Press corner. 23 January 2021. European Commission - European Commission. en.
  16. Web site: 15 December 2020. Greece: Government criticized as 'Moria 2.0' flooded again. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  17. Web site: MacGregor. Marion. 25 November 2020. Lesbos camp: Asylum seekers fend for themselves as winter looms. InfoMigrants. en.
  18. Web site: 15 December 2020. Greece: Government criticized as 'Moria 2.0' flooded again. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  19. Web site: Wagner. Jennifer. Lesbos: Is another Moria in the making? DW 12.10.2020. 23 January 2021. DW.COM.
  20. Web site: Wagner. Jennifer. Lesbos: Is another Moria in the making? DW 12.10.2020. 23 January 2021. DW.COM.
  21. Web site: Selin. Katerina. "We have fewer rights than animals": The unbearable life in the Greek refugee camp Kara Tepe. 23 January 2021. World Socialist Web Site. en.
  22. Web site: About Coronavirus. 23 January 2021. UNHCR Greece.
  23. Web site: Selin. Katerina. "We have fewer rights than animals": The unbearable life in the Greek refugee camp Kara Tepe. 23 January 2021. World Socialist Web Site. en.
  24. Web site: MacGregor. Marion. 12 October 2020. Moria 2.0: The new Lesbos refugee camp. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  25. Web site: Smith. Helena. 17 September 2020. Greek police move refugees to Lesbos tent camp after fire. 23 January 2021. the Guardian. en.
  26. Web site: Refugees in Greece enduring a mental health crisis, as IRC psychologists witness a 66% increase in self-harm among people in camps The IRC in the EU. 23 January 2021. eu.rescue.org. en-be.
  27. Web site: Refugees in Greece enduring a mental health crisis, as IRC psychologists witness a 66% increase in self-harm among people in camps The IRC in the EU. 23 January 2021. eu.rescue.org. en-be.
  28. Web site: Vedel-Hertz. Nanna. In Photos: Everyday resilience in a Lesvos refugee camp. 23 January 2021. www.thelocal.com.
  29. Web site: Education activities for children on the islands - Metadrasi.org. 23 January 2021. Metadrasi.
  30. Web site: Refugee Education and Learning International. 23 January 2021. Refugee Education and Learning.
  31. Web site: Vedel-Hertz. Nanna. In Photos: Every day resilience in a Lesvos refugee camp. 23 January 2021. www.thelocal.com.
  32. Web site: Sanderson. Sertan. 4 December 2020. EU to fund building of new migrant camp on Lesbos – amid great criticism. 23 January 2021. InfoMigrants. en.
  33. Web site: 2020-11-30. Λέσβος / Ετοιμάζουν κλειστή δομή για τους πρόσφυγες στη Βάστρια . Lesvos / They are preparing a secure structure for the refugees in Vastria . 2020-12-10. Αυγή. el.
  34. Web site: Λέσβος: Το ΣτΕ ακύρωσε την άδεια για ΚΥΤ στη Βάστρια. Newsroom. 2023-08-08. Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. greek. 2024-02-09.

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