The camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, with its sometimes unacceptable conditions, symbolizes the failure of European refugee policy. Now the head of the controversial camps for chronic overcrowding and unhygienic conditions has made his job available.
He is going "head high," said Yannis Balpakakis of the Greek news agency ANA on Wednesday. He had "done what was needed under difficult circumstances" and was now "tired".
The Moria camp on Lesbos has been under criticism for years. After the arrival of 3000 new refugees in August, the already difficult hygienic situation in the tented camp surrounded by olive groves had worsened further.
Every day more people reach the island - and the space is not enough
At the end of August, according to Uno data, almost 11,000 people lived in the camp, which is actually designed for only 3,000. This creates tensions among the residents, and there are always attacks. Last week, a 15-year-old Afghan boy was killed after a quarrel and two more teenagers were injured.
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Earlier this month, more than 600 Afghans were relocated to mainland refugee camps, but since then, dozens of new migrants arrived on Lesvos every day.
Ankara and Brussels had agreed in March 2016 on an agreement that would restrict the illegal immigration of mostly Syrian refugees via Turkey to Europe. For this, the EU has promised billions to Turkey for improving the living conditions of millions of Syria refugees. Since the deal came far fewer migrants to the Greek islands, Turkey prevented them from crossing.
What's next with the agreement?
Now the future of the pact seems more uncertain than ever. The Greek authorities have already alerted the EU, and new Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also addressed the issue at his meeting with Angela Merkel.
According to SPIEGEL information, the Greek authorities assume that the growing number of arrivals has to do with Turkey's refugee policy. For several weeks, pressure in Turkey has been on Syrians in particular, many apparently arrested or deported to Syria. In addition, Turkey is arguing with Greece and Cyprus for gas resources in the Mediterranean.
Greek officials suspect that Ankara may not carry out border controls as rigorously as in the past. Their fears: If the trend continues, more migrants could arrive on the islands in September and October.
Read here: Why the deal between Turkey and EU threatens to fail.
