The German government confirmed on Tuesday 15 September that it intended to take in 1,500 migrants on its territory following the fire in the Moria camp, which left 12,000 people homeless. According to Reuters, this agreement between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Interior Minister Horst Seehofer would affect 1,500 people who have already obtained a positive asylum decision and they would not necessarily come only from the island of Lesbos.
On 14 September, the Chancellor had indicated that the situation in Moria “was not acceptable” and that conditions for receiving migrants needed to improve. She had confirmed that a “pilot project” for receiving migrants was under consideration.
The Commission immediately welcomed this announcement on 15 September and said it was “in close contact” with the German authorities to organise this assistance, commented Adalbert Jahnz, spokesman for Migration.
On the afternoon of 15 September, the Commission had, moreover, convened a technical coordination meeting between the Member States to discuss the arrangements for transfers, while several countries volunteered to take in some of the people left homeless.
A letter to this effect had been sent the previous day to the Member States by European Commissioner Ylva Johansson and German Minister Horst Seehofer. In this letter, seen by EUROPE, the two officials call on States to make offers to receive minors and vulnerable persons and to reach the amount of 2,000 people which the EU set itself at the beginning of the year (commitments to take in migrants and asylum seekers in poor health were added to the 1,600 program).
The two officials also point out that nearly 30,000 people are currently in camps on the Greek islands.
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, was in Athens alongside the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriákos Mitsotákis, and was due to visit Lesbos.
He made the case for a European solution, as migration is a matter for the whole EU and not for a few Member States. The future proposals, which the Commission will present on 23 September, will have to respond to several imperatives, he said: “to reduce illegal immigration, move towards more convergence in the system for receiving migrants and be more efficient in returns”.
The Greek Prime Minister, for his part, called on the EU to co-manage with Greece the new camps, which will be built in accordance with the policy of the future Pact, he said.
German Greens/EFA MEP Erik Marquardt was also in Lesbos on 15 September, where he described to journalists the situation of thousands of people waiting for a solution. Some of them have been relocated and sheltered (the government has announced a first transitional camp with 800 people), but many others are without a solution.
He also met people who do not want to go to new centres - which would be closed - due, among other things, to the presence of Covid-19 cases among migrants (21 at this stage, according to the authorities). Thus, these people want to be able to continue to migrate, which feeds the tension.
The young elected representative advocated real long-term solutions and even felt that immediate relocations were not the best option in that they imply a choice according to certain criteria and will not provide an answer for everyone.
Instead of rebuilding closed camps, the Member argued for accommodation on cruise ships, with cabins allowing adequate separation suitable for the Covid 19 era, until a permanent solution in the EU is found for them.
Aid continues to flow
The Commission has indicated that new offers of assistance for Greece have been received from Slovakia, Hungary, France and Slovenia. These include tents, blankets, sleeping bags and mobile toilets. Adding to offers already received this week from Poland, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Germany. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)