Moria refugee camp: MEPs to call for an urgent EU response
MEPs will urge the Council and the Commission to address the humanitarian crisis on the island of Lesvos, following the fire that razed the Moria refugee camp.
More than 12,000 people were living in the overcrowded camp, which has a capacity to house 2,000, when flames engulfed it on Tuesday night.
The camp had been under quarantine for a few days after dozens of COVID-19 cases were detected and there had been clashes between the residents and police forces.
MEPs have demanded on several occasions that refugee camps on the Greek islands be evacuated, particularly since the outbreak of the pandemic. Thousands of asylum-seekers have been stranded on the islands for years, in dire conditions, waiting for their requests to be processed. Relocation to other EU member states has been slow and limited to small numbers, mostly of unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable people.
The debate will take place on Thursday morning.
Procedure: Council and Commission statements, without resolution
Debate: Thursday, 17 September