After Lesbos
In summer 2020, refugees who have been transferred from Moria camp in Lesbos island to Athens
are at risk of being left on the streets because the new set of laws of the Greek Parliament
requires them to stay in UNHCR provided houses and camps for only one month after they are
granted refugee status.
As a result, already, dozens of mostly Afghan families have ended up in the streets of Athens,
despite having a piece of paper that allows them to work or find accommodation. However, to be
able to rent a flat, they need to have an address which they lack. This is one glimpse of the
failed migration system of Greece, a country that has been dealing with this issue for over
three decades.
The new approach of the center-right government sends many refugees into the hands of human
traffickers and the dangerous route of Greece-Italy sea.