UNHCR alarmed by detention of unaccompanied children in Lesvos, Greece
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Earlier this week UNHCR staff visited the detention centre at Pagani on the Greek Island of Lesvos. They were shocked at the conditions in the facility, where more than 850 people are held, including 200 unaccompanied children, mostly from Afghanistan.
The centre has a capacity of 250-300 people. The UNHCR staff described the condition of the centre as unacceptable. One room houses over 150 women and 50 babies, many suffering from illness related to the cramped and unsanitary conditions of the centre.
The Deputy Minister of Health and Social Solidarity has given UNHCR his assurances that all the unaccompanied children at Pagani will be transferred to special reception facilities by the end of the month. The Ministry has already taken some measures to that effect.
The situation in Pagani is indicative of broader problems relating to irregular migration and Greece's asylum system. Last year, UNHCR, with the support of the Greek Ministry of Interior, presented recommendations for a complete overhaul of the asylum system, including specific measures to protect asylum-seeking children. To date, these proposals have not been implemented.
In 2008, the Greek Coast Guard reported the arrival of 2,648 unaccompanied children, but many more are believed to have entered the country undetected. Greece has no process for assessing the individual needs and best interests of these children. While the government has made efforts to increase the number of places for children at specialized, open centres, arrivals outstrip these efforts and children remain in detention for long periods.
UNHCR is participating in an EU funded project that aims to improve reception facilities on the islands of Samos, Chios and Lesvos and at the Evros land border.
Related news and stories
Ukrainian refugees relieve stress with a support dog named Noir
A safe space for Ukraine's refugees in Romania
UNHCR, UNICEF establish dozens of support hubs in countries hosting Ukrainian refugees
'I have seen first-hand how children's education has suffered'
Sir Lewis Hamilton backs UNHCR's campaign on refugee education
Sudanese refugees in Chad face challenges to deliver education
-
IOM and UNHCR chiefs stress that COVID-19 underlines the urgent need for universal health coverage
11 Dec 2020 -
Statement attributable to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region
11 Dec 2020 -
Yemenis displaced by conflict now face threats of looming famine
11 Dec 2020 -
Ethiopian refugees report obstacles to reach safety in Sudan as numbers approach 50,000
11 Dec 2020 -
UNHCR forum weighs lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
10 Dec 2020 The final session of this year's High Commissioner's Dialogue considered solutions for responding to future global emergencies. -
High Commissioner's remarks at the global launch ceremony of the Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants Regional Response Plan 2021
10 Dec 2020 -
Forced back home by the pandemic, Venezuelan grandmother sees no choice but to flee once again
10 Dec 2020 With lockdown making it all but impossible for many Venezuelan refugees and migrants to meet their basic needs, thousands have headed home – only to have to flee again. -
Birth registration gaps leave South Africans in limbo
10 Dec 2020 UNHCR is working with the South African government to help people at risk of statelessness obtain vital identity documents. -
US$1.44 billion needed to support refugees and migrants from Venezuela amid COVID-19
10 Dec 2020 Joint UNHCR-IOM Press Release