After the fire in Moria
Berlin / Athens (dpa) – After Germany and France pledged to take in more underage migrants from the burned down Greek camp Moria at short notice, Development Minister Gerd Müller relies on solidarity within the EU.
Now the other European countries and the EU Commission must act decisively, said the CSU politician of the “Passauer Neue Presse”. “The dramatic events in Moria must be a wake-up call to change the situation and finally come to a common refugee policy in Europe.” There are no refugees from Greece in Moria. “These are Europe’s refugees.”
Müller also expressed criticism of the Greek authorities, who had not significantly expanded, renovated or rebuilt the overcrowded camp on Lesbos for years. Two years ago, he suggested converting it into smaller units, according to the standards of the UN refugee agency, said Müller. “It’s also possible in Iraq or Kenya.” About the conditions on Lesbos, he said: «I was in many refugee camps in Africa and the Middle East. Nowhere are the conditions as dramatic as in Moria – and that in the middle of Europe. ” He told the Augsburger Allgemeine: “Hardly any other camp in the world has worse living conditions.”
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis thanked Germany and France for their willingness to accept minors. “We will do everything we can to approach this crisis in a human way,” he said on Thursday evening in Ajaccio in Corsica after an informal EU-Southern Summit.
Merkel did not give a specific number of how many people Germany will take in. By Thursday, Greece had already flown 400 minors who are unaccompanied by their parents to the port city of Thessaloniki. Merkel said she hoped that other EU member states would also participate in accepting minors. She also discussed with Mitsotakis that immediate help should be given to ensure new and better accommodation for those affected on site.
Germany has already taken in more than 460 unaccompanied children, sick children and their relatives from the refugee camps on the islands. Further recordings of sick children are already in preparation. According to dpa information, the admission that has now been promised between Merkel and Macron should take place independently of this.
Müller again advocated accepting the offer from countries and cities in this country to accept 2,000 people from the camp. “These are not hasty suggestions, because the municipalities and the people know best what is affordable.”
On Thursday ten German cities again offered the federal government in a letter to accept people. “We are ready to take in people from Moria in order to defuse the humanitarian catastrophe,” says a letter from the mayors of Hanover, Potsdam, Freiburg, Oldenburg, Düsseldorf, Göttingen, Gießen as well as Cologne, Bielefeld and Krefeld. The letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) was available to the editorial network Germany. All over Europe, municipalities are ready to help. This must be made possible. Seehofer had previously refused to give willing municipalities this option.
Norbert Röttgen, CDU foreign politician and candidate for the party chairmanship, advertised on ARD “Brennpunkt” for the demand of 16 Union MPs to accept 5,000 refugees from Greece. “Every refugee who has been sitting in the dirt in Moria, sometimes for years, has the same human dignity as we do here in Europe.”
The Moria camp was almost completely destroyed in several simultaneous fires on Wednesday night. Instead of the planned 3,000 migrants, more than 12,000 people were housed there. The Greek government rejected the rapid relocation of further refugees and identified targeted arson as the trigger.
Green leader Robert Habeck told the Bonn «General-Anzeiger» that after the fire, almost 13,000 people were homeless. «They all have to be brought to safety in Europe. And the asylum procedure can be followed up quickly. ” He suggested providing financial support across Europe to those member states and municipalities that voluntarily accept contingents of refugees. “Poland may then refuse to take in refugees, but Danzig might be ready.” Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) also told the editorial network Germany that it was high time to finally accelerate the admission process and distribute those seeking protection in the EU.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200911-99-517433 / 5
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