A report carried out by the Council of Europe’s Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons has revealed the extent of the ‘shameful’ situation on the island of Kos in light of the refugee crisis.
In its report, the Council of Europe describes the process of refugee registration and is highly critical of the facilities and lack of coordination. It also underlines the lack of efforts carried out by local authorities to address the dreadful conditions that refugees face upon arrival on the island.
The local authorities are also accused of refusing to cooperate with the humanitarian community, to the point of obstructing certain projects. The local arguments against the establishment of a hotspot on the island are also dispelled, with the Council arguing that the relative improvement of living conditions will not act as ‘pull factor’.
The Council of Europe concludes that the situation on the Greek island is “simply dreadful and will only get worse as winter approaches and the weather deteriorates”, that greater support from the Greek government and European bodies is necessary since they islands cannot cope alone and that a properly located and equipped site for reception facilities, medical care and temporary accommodation is necessary.
The full report is available online for viewing.
