Grecia

The European Union’s deal with Turkey to control migration and return “irregular” migrants has led to policies and practices in Greece that are short-sighted, unsustainable, ineffective and dangerous, say Oxfam and 24 other NGOs in an open letter ahead of the deal’s third anniversary.

Oxfam and ActionAid have listened to hundreds of refugee and migrant women and men in Greece to understand why they fled their countries, what their immediate needs are, and what they plan to do next. Their situation is desperate, but also avoidable.

Deportations of refugees and migrants from Greece to Turkey must be halted immediately and people wanting to seek asylum should not be kept in detention, said Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council and Solidarity Now today in Greece. 

Every day, boatloads of people fleeing war and poverty arrive on the small Greek Island of Lesbos from Turkey. They have risked their lives on a dangerous voyage with no guarantees. They are now stranded in Greece, without hope of continuing their journey to Europe. They need your help. 

If left unchecked, austerity policies could put between 15 and 25 million more Europeans at risk of poverty by 2025, bringing the number of people at risk of poverty in Europe up to 146 million.