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Nearly 5,000 unaccompanied refugee children in Greece

November 23, 2019 at 10:44 am

The National Centre for Social Solidarity announced that the number of unaccompanied refugee children on Greek territories has amounted to 4,962.

The centre confirmed in a statement on Thursday, that three quarters of these children are living in “inadequate conditions” in the camps.

Local media outlets reported that the main shortages in the camps include the limited access to food and clean water, and insufficient government support and legal regulations.

The media outlets also pointed out that the situation of unaccompanied refugee children has been gradually deteriorating.

Dr. Apostolos Veizis, a Médecins Sans Frontières volunteer, described the situation in the Greek islands as “criminal”.

“We take care of about 100 children every day. More than half of them face problems caused by inappropriate camp conditions, such as skin diseases and respiratory disorders,” explained Veizis.

Dimitra Lenard, lawyer of the non-governmental organisation Arsis, confirmed that 99 unaccompanied refugee children are being held in a closed camp in Amigdalza, Greece.

Some children have been sleeping on a concrete floor for 50 days. This is worse than humiliation and inhumane treatment,” added the lawyer.

Gabriel Sakellaridis, director of Amnesty International’s Greece office, disclosed that 1,200 unaccompanied children have disappeared across the country.