Everything that took place over the past couple days on the island of Lesvos is a warning about the conditions at the temporary migrant and refugee accommodation centers. The climate on the islands, which have been bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis since last years, is explosive both for the people as well as the refugees themselves. All that is needed is one rumor or dispute for clashes to break out that may result in situations out of control.

The complacency of recent months over the great reduction of refugee flows following the EU-Turkey agreement temporarily masked the problems and created the impression that the situation is manageable. But it is obvious that the problems remain and increase daily. The inadequacy of detention and accommodation arrangements is unfortunately a given and deteriorating constantly.

On the one hand there is the forced coexistence of refugees from different ethnic and social origins and on the other there is the fatigue and reactions from local communities, which are often motivated by thoughtless so-called defenders of one or the other side, which consequently is constantly causing tension. The situation is just as problematic in many centers throughout Greece, without planning or informing residents and local leaders playing their own games.

The problem cannot be addressed with nationalist and racist explosions nor declarations of solidarity. What is needed is a comprehensive national plocy, without opportunistic improvisations and by taking advantage of all available community resources and mobilizing the state mechanism. One ministry on its own without essentially any services and which essentially delegates most of its powers to non-government organizations cannot address the problem.

It is also necessary for Europe to not constantly shift the greatest burden to out country and demonstrate in practice that it is interested in helping resolve the problem. When so many support mechanisms have committed to the mission it is absurd that so little has actually been done.

The government has a duty to demand in every possible way the implementation of the commitments assumed by our partners, rather than be content with wishful thinking. Otherwise every now and again we will be faced with phenomena like those on Lesvos…

TO VIMA