The Eastern Aegean island of Lesbos was put under a State of Emergency Sept. 9 following a massive fire that tore through the notorious Moria refugee and migrant detention camp that was on lockdown over COVID-19 cases.
The cause of the fire was uncertain but authorities were looking at the possibility of arson after reports said firefighters met some resistance while trying to battle the blaze.
The fire came after growing frustration over long-delayed asylum applications in a camp still holding some 12,500 people who came to Greece from Turkey, which has let human traffickers keep sending them during an essentially-suspended 2016 swap deal with the European Union.
They had gone to Turkey fleeing war, strife, and economic hardships in their homelands, especially wars in Afghanistan and Syria as well as from sub-Saharan Africa, hoping to more prosperous EU countries before borders were shut.
That has left them only the option of being granted sanctuary in Greece, which is holding nearly 100,000, including 34,000 on five islands near Turkey, Lesbos being the prime destination since the crisis began in 2015.
No injuries were reported from the blaze, but thousands of camp residents have fled to escape the flames.
The declaration of an emergency allowed the New Democracy government which had been tightening the country’s borders and trying to keep refugees and migrants from reaching Greek islands to mobilize all its forces, an official said.
Read the full report at thenationalherald.com
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