MEPs pointed on Thursday to the dire conditions in the refugee camps on the Greek islands, more worrying as the winter approaches, and complained for the lack of solutions.
In a debate with Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Finnish Presidency, many speakers stressed that this will be the fourth winter with thousands of asylum-seekers living in unacceptable conditions on European soil. MEPs described the situation in places such as the Moria camp as “explosive” and “shameful”, and urged the Greek authorities to speed up transfers to the mainland, giving priority to the most vulnerable people.
The lack of solidarity of EU member states with Greece was also raised during the discussion. Some MEPs blamed the Council of the EU for not being able to reach an agreement for a new common European asylum legislation, which should contribute to alleviate the pressure on Greece.
