An Afghan woman is facing arson charges after trying to burn herself to death at a migrants camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this week, officials said Thursday.

The charges are the latest in a series of punishments directed at refugees and asylum-seekers on the island, rights groups say, and reflect the Greek government’s hard line on migrants. The episode is also a stark example of the effect that the dire conditions at Greek reception centers have on refugees’ mental health.

The woman, a 27-year-old who is eight months pregnant, lives at a temporary camp with her husband and three children. She set her tent alight Sunday after being told that her family’s planned relocation to Germany was being postponed, a Greek migration ministry official said, noting that her journey had been delayed because of the advanced state of her pregnancy.

Watch |&nbsp;

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“She tried to commit suicide by setting fire to her tent and sitting inside it,” a Lesbos fire service official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The woman was hospitalized with non-life-threatening burns after neighbors dragged her from the burning tent, the officer said, adding that no one else was injured.

Thousands of people are living in desperate conditions at Greece’s camps for refugees and migrants dotted along its islands, a situation that human rights groups consistently denounce as inhumane. Groups have long warned of a growing mental health crisis there as the thousands who fled war and economic hardship remain in limbo.

Although the number of migrants crossing the Aegean by boat from Turkey to the Greek islands has dropped sharply this year — by more than 90% in January, according to authorities — the camps remain crowded. Dozens of facilities on the mainland have been closed as part of a government policy to discourage further arrivals.

And although the processing of asylum claims has been accelerated since last year, a significant backlog remains.

In the case of the woman on Lesbos, her asylum application had been approved and refugee status granted, and her desperate act appeared to have been prompted by the delay in her relocation to Germany. The makeshift camp, like other facilities nationwide, remains locked down because of the pandemic.

The woman, whose name was not released by authorities, arrived in Greece in 2019 and had been living in a camp on the island for more than a year, according to the migration ministry. She was due to give a statement to a court official and the prosecutor from her hospital bed Thursday, officials said.

A spokesman for Greek police said that although her treatment may appear harsh, her actions could not go unpunished, because instances of arson are frequent and put other camp residents at risk.

“The law has to be enforced. A message has to be sent,” said the spokesman, Theodoros Chronopoulos. “This could have created a larger fire.”

The incident occurred inside a temporary camp that was set up after a series of fires destroyed the sprawling Moria camp in September. Six Afghan migrants were charged with arson in connection with that fire and are awaiting trial.

Eva Cossé, a Western Europe researcher for Human Rights Watch, said it was hard to overstate the toll that such conditions take on people in the camps.

“The psychological impact of years of conflict, exacerbated by harsh conditions on the Greek islands and the uncertainty of inhumane policies, may not be as visible as physical wounds,” she said. “But as this case shows, it is no less life-threatening.

“The impulse to prosecute her rather than help her,” Cossé added, “is not only emblematic of what is wrong with Europe’s approach to migration, but it also shows Greece’s lack of compassion and humanity.”

In recent months, rights groups have denounced Greek authorities’ increasingly tough actions regarding migrants. In November, an Afghan man was charged with endangering the life of his son after the 6-year-old drowned off the coast of another Aegean island when their boat traveling from Turkey capsized. The man has since been granted asylum but is still awaiting trial, according to his lawyer.

Last week, Notis Mitarachi, Greece’s migration minister, said authorities were pressing forward with efforts to accelerate asylum applications and the return of migrants to Turkey in a bid to ease overcrowding in camps and discourage further arrivals.

He noted that the number of asylum-seekers at facilities nationwide had dropped to just over 60,000 from nearly 100,000 early last year, while 57 facilities on the mainland have been closed entirely.

“We are continuing with the implementation of a tough but fair migration policy so that our country is no longer a gateway to Europe for illegal smuggling rackets,” he said.

 
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An Afghan woman is facing arson charges after trying to burn herself to death at a migrants camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this week, officials said Thursday.

An Afghan woman is facing arson charges after trying to burn herself to death at a migrants camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this week, officials said Thursday. The charges are the latest in a series of punishments directed at refugees and asylum-seekers on the island, rights groups say, and reflect the Greek government’s hard line on migrants. The episode is also a stark example of the effect that the dire conditions at Greek reception centers have on refugees’ mental health. The woman, a 27-year-old who is eight months pregnant, lives at a temporary camp with her husband and three children. She set her tent alight Sunday after being told that her family’s planned relocation to Germany was being postponed, a Greek migration ministry official said, noting that her journey had been delayed because of the advanced state of her pregnancy. Watch | “She tried to commit suicide by setting fire to her tent and sitting inside it,” a Lesbos fire service official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The woman was hospitalized with non-life-threatening burns after neighbors dragged her from the burning tent, the officer said, adding that no one else was injured. Thousands of people are living in desperate conditions at Greece’s camps for refugees and migrants dotted along its islands, a situation that human rights groups consistently denounce as inhumane. Groups have long warned of a growing mental health crisis there as the thousands who fled war and economic hardship remain in limbo. Although the number of migrants crossing the Aegean by boat from Turkey to the Greek islands has dropped sharply this year — by more than 90% in January, according to authorities — the camps remain crowded. Dozens of facilities on the mainland have been closed as part of a government policy to discourage further arrivals. And although the processing of asylum claims has been accelerated since last year, a significant backlog remains. In the case of the woman on Lesbos, her asylum application had been approved and refugee status granted, and her desperate act appeared to have been prompted by the delay in her relocation to Germany. The makeshift camp, like other facilities nationwide, remains locked down because of the pandemic. The woman, whose name was not released by authorities, arrived in Greece in 2019 and had been living in a camp on the island for more than a year, according to the migration ministry. She was due to give a statement to a court official and the prosecutor from her hospital bed Thursday, officials said. A spokesman for Greek police said that although her treatment may appear harsh, her actions could not go unpunished, because instances of arson are frequent and put other camp residents at risk. “The law has to be enforced. A message has to be sent,” said the spokesman, Theodoros Chronopoulos. “This could have created a larger fire.” The incident occurred inside a temporary camp that was set up after a series of fires destroyed the sprawling Moria camp in September. Six Afghan migrants were charged with arson in connection with that fire and are awaiting trial. Eva Cossé, a Western Europe researcher for Human Rights Watch, said it was hard to overstate the toll that such conditions take on people in the camps. “The psychological impact of years of conflict, exacerbated by harsh conditions on the Greek islands and the uncertainty of inhumane policies, may not be as visible as physical wounds,” she said. “But as this case shows, it is no less life-threatening. “The impulse to prosecute her rather than help her,” Cossé added, “is not only emblematic of what is wrong with Europe’s approach to migration, but it also shows Greece’s lack of compassion and humanity.” In recent months, rights groups have denounced Greek authorities’ increasingly tough actions regarding migrants. In November, an Afghan man was charged with endangering the life of his son after the 6-year-old drowned off the coast of another Aegean island when their boat traveling from Turkey capsized. The man has since been granted asylum but is still awaiting trial, according to his lawyer. Last week, Notis Mitarachi, Greece’s migration minister, said authorities were pressing forward with efforts to accelerate asylum applications and the return of migrants to Turkey in a bid to ease overcrowding in camps and discourage further arrivals. He noted that the number of asylum-seekers at facilities nationwide had dropped to just over 60,000 from nearly 100,000 early last year, while 57 facilities on the mainland have been closed entirely. “We are continuing with the implementation of a tough but fair migration policy so that our country is no longer a gateway to Europe for illegal smuggling rackets,” he said.

Refugee who set herself on fire in Greece is charged with arson

Refugees stream towards Greece after Turkey opens gates

Greece must take "urgent" steps to improve "miserable" conditions in its overcrowded island migrant camps, the U.N. refugee chief said Wednesday.

"These living conditions need urgent improvement," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-death-toll-in-mediterranean-tops-1000-for-6th-year-unhcr-253075">United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees</a> Filippo Grandi said after visiting camps on &nbsp;Lesbos.

"Whatever the situation of these people, we cannot accept that they live in such miserable conditions, exposed also to violence and exploitation," Grandi said.

According to government figures, there are over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/struggling-with-influx-greece-to-shut-down-three-refugee-camps-263414">39,000 asylum-seekers</a> on the islands, with hundreds more arriving daily, capitalising on mild weather.

The International Organisation for Migration says there are an additional 22,000 people in camps on the mainland, which are nearly full or already past capacity.

Greece's conservative government last week announced a plan to expand and fortify migrant camps on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros.

They also said they would work to make the borders 'air-tight' against a feared new surge of asylum-seekers.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also pledged to quickly resettle over 4,000 unaccompanied children after failing to persuade EU states to accept around 3,000 of them.

Grandi, who will see Mitsotakis later on Wednesday and hold a press conference on Thursday, said he "fully" supports plans to bring more children to the mainland.

"I am very worried and I know the PM is very worried about children...we need to do our maximum, all of us collectively, to help the children," he said.

"Europe has to do more for Greece, this is part of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/eu-countries-back-tough-line-on-5g-suppliers-in-potential-blow-to-huawei-264045">European Union</a>," he added.

There is already opposition from authorities on Lesbos and Samos to the planned new camps that are to hold over 5,000 asylum-seekers each.

Protests have taken place in several towns in northern Greece in recent weeks to block attempted relocations of asylum-seekers.

Greece must take "urgent" steps to improve "miserable" conditions in its overcrowded island migrant camps, the U.N. refugee chief said Wednesday. "These living conditions need urgent improvement," United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said after visiting camps on Lesbos.

Greece must take "urgent" steps to improve "miserable" conditions in its overcrowded island migrant camps, the U.N. refugee chief said Wednesday. "These living conditions need urgent improvement," United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said after visiting camps on Lesbos. "Whatever the situation of these people, we cannot accept that they live in such miserable conditions, exposed also to violence and exploitation," Grandi said. According to government figures, there are over 39,000 asylum-seekers on the islands, with hundreds more arriving daily, capitalising on mild weather. The International Organisation for Migration says there are an additional 22,000 people in camps on the mainland, which are nearly full or already past capacity. Greece's conservative government last week announced a plan to expand and fortify migrant camps on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros. They also said they would work to make the borders 'air-tight' against a feared new surge of asylum-seekers. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also pledged to quickly resettle over 4,000 unaccompanied children after failing to persuade EU states to accept around 3,000 of them. Grandi, who will see Mitsotakis later on Wednesday and hold a press conference on Thursday, said he "fully" supports plans to bring more children to the mainland. "I am very worried and I know the PM is very worried about children...we need to do our maximum, all of us collectively, to help the children," he said. "Europe has to do more for Greece, this is part of the European Union," he added. There is already opposition from authorities on Lesbos and Samos to the planned new camps that are to hold over 5,000 asylum-seekers each. Protests have taken place in several towns in northern Greece in recent weeks to block attempted relocations of asylum-seekers.

U.N. urges Greece to fix 'miserable' migrant camps

A fire at one of Greece&#39;s main migrant camps on the island of Lesbos on Monday caused extensive damage, forcing thousands of refugees to flee to safety, police said. Firefighters were eventually able to bring the fire under control. 
 
Police sources said that the fire had been set on purpose and that firefighters were unable to contain the damage earlier because of clashes among rival nationalities in the camp of Moria. Around 150 minors belonging to the camp were evacuated to a children&#39;s village on the island, a cop said. 
 
Tents at the camp were &quot;almost entirely destroyed&quot; and containers that provide additional accommodation and health and registration services were damaged, a police source in Athens told AFP. He also disclosed that strong winds had further fuelled the flames forcing upto 4000 people to flee to the fields nearby. 
 
Police were sent out after the migrants and were in the process of returning them to the camp, the officer, adding that there was &quot;no doubt&quot; that the fire had been set on purpose by those inside. 
 
Greece houses around 60,000 refugees and migrants from all over the world. Most of them are Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war. Most of them have been using the country as a gateway to Germany and other affluent EU countries, but were unable to do so after several eastern European and Balkan states shut their borders earlier this year. 
 
Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis and others from the Indian subcontinent and north Africa considered to be economic migrants, and as such not automatically entitled to asylum in Europe. Brawls are common, with many desperate to avoid being returned to Turkey or their home countries after spending a small fortune and risking their lives trying to escape poverty and persecution. 
 
The condition of the migrant camps in the country have repeatedly been criticised by human rights groups for being overcrowded and for the unhygienic surroundings. According to government data, there are over 13,000 people on five islands in facilities which are meant for less than 8,000. The situation is particularly acute on Lesbos - which houses around 5600 people, 2000 more than its capacity, and other eastern Aegean islands facing Turkey, where most of the migrants land and are held for registration. 
 
The island&#39;s residents have been protesting, demanding the transportation of the migrants to the mainland - a part of an EU-Turkey deal designed to limit the influx of refugees and migrants to Greece&#39;s shores. 
 
Tension rose in Moria on Monday after a rumour that migrants were about to be deported en masse to Turkey, state agency ANA reported. However, a strong police presence at the camp had initially calmed tempers, a police officer said. 
 
Another two fires had broken out in the olive groves near Moria but were brought under control before the third fire erupted at the camp.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Police said the fire had been set on purpose and that firefighters were unable to contain the damage

A fire at one of Greece's main migrant camps on the island of Lesbos on Monday caused extensive damage, forcing thousands of refugees to flee to safety, police said. Firefighters were eventually able to bring the fire under control. Police sources said that the fire had been set on purpose and that firefighters were unable to contain the damage earlier because of clashes among rival nationalities in the camp of Moria. Around 150 minors belonging to the camp were evacuated to a children's village on the island, a cop said. Tents at the camp were "almost entirely destroyed" and containers that provide additional accommodation and health and registration services were damaged, a police source in Athens told AFP. He also disclosed that strong winds had further fuelled the flames forcing upto 4000 people to flee to the fields nearby. Police were sent out after the migrants and were in the process of returning them to the camp, the officer, adding that there was "no doubt" that the fire had been set on purpose by those inside. Greece houses around 60,000 refugees and migrants from all over the world. Most of them are Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war. Most of them have been using the country as a gateway to Germany and other affluent EU countries, but were unable to do so after several eastern European and Balkan states shut their borders earlier this year. Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis and others from the Indian subcontinent and north Africa considered to be economic migrants, and as such not automatically entitled to asylum in Europe. Brawls are common, with many desperate to avoid being returned to Turkey or their home countries after spending a small fortune and risking their lives trying to escape poverty and persecution. The condition of the migrant camps in the country have repeatedly been criticised by human rights groups for being overcrowded and for the unhygienic surroundings. According to government data, there are over 13,000 people on five islands in facilities which are meant for less than 8,000. The situation is particularly acute on Lesbos - which houses around 5600 people, 2000 more than its capacity, and other eastern Aegean islands facing Turkey, where most of the migrants land and are held for registration. The island's residents have been protesting, demanding the transportation of the migrants to the mainland - a part of an EU-Turkey deal designed to limit the influx of refugees and migrants to Greece's shores. Tension rose in Moria on Monday after a rumour that migrants were about to be deported en masse to Turkey, state agency ANA reported. However, a strong police presence at the camp had initially calmed tempers, a police officer said. Another two fires had broken out in the olive groves near Moria but were brought under control before the third fire erupted at the camp. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Thousands of migrants flee Greek camp after devastating fire