Refugee Shelters on Greek Islands Overcrowded, Unsafe

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Hundreds of migrants coming ashore on the Greek islands of Samos, Lesbos and Chios find themselves locked up for months in overcrowded shelters – so-called hotspots – with not enough water, rotten food and inadequate healthcare, the Human Rights Watch said after a week-long visit to the islands.

"Lack of police protection, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions create an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity in Greece’s razor wire-fenced island camps," HRW Refugee Program Director Bill Frelick said.

The HRW cited camp residents and staff who said that fights were a daily occurrence and that police forces would often withdraw to safety when clashes start and refuse to intervene to protect people.

On May 13, a brawl involving 200 men took place at a 250-bed Samos facility that hosted 945 people. The HRW reported seeing bloodstained floors and people with lacerations and broken bones a day after the fight.

"When Greece detains people in overcrowded conditions unfit for animals and fails to provide them with basic police protection, it creates a climate where violence flourishes," Frelick noted.

The Greek migration agency published official figures on Wednesday that showed the number of migrants and asylum seekers had passed 50,000 since the beginning of 2016. Most of the migrants are camped on the border with Macedonia in northern Greece, with the Aegean islands hosting a further 8,549.