The Greek government and its European Union partners should urgently ensure that all asylum seekers on the Aegean islands are transferred to suitable accommodation on the mainland or relocated to other EU countries as winter approaches, Terre des hommes Hellas and 19 other human rights organizations said today.

After having fled war or misery, thousands of people have landed on the island of Lesbos, at the Moria camp, where they still dream of Europe and freedom.

In order to strengthen the statutory response to gender based violence affecting children and youth on the move in EU countries, Terre des hommes has just commenced the implementation of its regional project titled “Building Relationships through Innovative Development of Gender Based Violence Awareness in Europe – BRIDGE”.

Terre des hommes and 18 other international NGOs working in Greece decry conditions at the site, now worse than ever, and call for sustainable solutions to both decongest the islands and improve conditions across first receptions centres in North Aegean Sea.

Let us help them! Greece joins a pan-European coalition that aims to reflourish solidarity and respect towards refugees.

The Greek government’s move on April 20, 2018, overturning a binding court ruling ordering it to end its abusive policy of trapping asylum seekers on Greece’s islands raises rule of law concerns, 21 human rights and humanitarian organizations said today.

The 6th of April marks the fifth International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. For protecting children in vulnerable situations, Terre des hommes counts on sports as a strong tool which has a positive psychological and social impact on children.

Thousands of asylum seekers are trapped in crowded and filthy processing centers on the Greek Islands, with many spending the winter in lightweight tents or even sleeping outside on the ground. Greece contends it has to keep the asylum seekers on the islands because a March 2016 agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey provides that asylum seekers who arrive by boat from Turkey should be sent back there to have their asylum claims processed.

More than 13,500 asylum seekers remain trapped on the Greek islands in deplorable conditions as winter begins on December 21, 2017, Terre des hommes said today. 

The Greek government, with the support of European Union leaders, should act now before the onset of winter to end Greece’s “containment policy,” 12 human rights and humanitarian organizations said in a campaign that began today.