Corona and refugee crisis: eyewitness warns - "Moria is about to become a mass grave"

The situation on the Greek islands is threatening. Tens of thousands of people are in mortal danger. Powerful words by a sea rescue worker make you think.

• The refugee crisis on the Greek islands * is escalating. 
• Because of the corona virus *, tens of thousands of people are in great danger. 
• Merkur.de * provides a guide through reporting in the Corona crisis and a map of current case numbers .
• A rescue worker reports harrowing details from the Turkish-Greek border .

Munich - Dariush Beigui has experienced a lot. As a sea ​​rescuer , he was in the Mediterranean with the " Iuventa " and the " Sea-Watch 3 ", currently he is anchored with the " Mare Liberum " off the Greek island of Lesbos .

Refugee crisis in Greece: sea rescuers report terrible conditions 

What the German refugee helper has to say about the conditions can sometimes make your blood run cold. " I'm hopeless, " he reports in an interview with Jan Böhmermann and Olli Schulz  ( you can find the podcast " Fest & Flauschig " here). Still, he tries to shake the phone. 

The Greek islands are a hotspot for refugees , explains Beigui, Lesbos is only seven kilometers from the Turkish coast. A distance that some are said to have already covered in despair , swimming . 

Lesbos: Refugees were welcome - but the mood has now turned

So the people here are already used to taking in refugees and sometimes even benefit from it . Nevertheless, the mood changed about half a year ago. A dangerous hostility has developed on the islands, explains the German lifeguard. It went so far that a group of people even wanted to pour petrol over the auxiliary boat "Mare Liberum" in the harbor and ignite it . 

"But I have to step into the breach for Lesbos, " warns the human rights award winner not to leave that unreflected, although the anger of the citizens is also directed against himself. " 60 thousand people live on the island and there are almost 25,000 refugees here ." 

Refugee crisis: Sea rescuer is frightened and anxious by mind play - "I do not want to imagine that"

"If I imagine what would be going on in Germany if there were 40 million refugees ...", his voice fails for a moment, " Oh God, I don't want to imagine what would be done to them. "

Greece / Turkey: Corona pandemic exacerbates the situation - refugees in great danger

The corona pandemic * is now exacerbating the situation on the ground. While the helpers are frustrated because they cannot do their job, the refugees are currently in great danger . 

Tens of thousands of people live in tightly packed spaces in completely overcrowded camps . Many are already suffering from health problems or are unstable. Almost everyone who lives there also belongs to the risk group , Beigui estimates.

This is what #socialdistancing looks like when you just arrived on #Lesvos. This is how several people who recently arrived on the Greek islands are forced to live while they wait for their quarantine period to end. # RefugeesGr # antireport # Covid19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/rdbN8coD4w

Especially in the largest camp, near Moria , the situation is precarious. It was once planned for 2500 people , now an incredible 20,000 are crammed together. Those seeking help feel like animals because the EU treats them like this, reports the former sea rescuer and holds Germany up to the mirror. 

"It is completely crowded. There is no social distancing here, ”explains Beigui,“ imagine that in the room you are in there are fifty more people . ” 

Refugee crisis in Lesbos: children hit hard - study shows terrifying result

He reports on a study by the "Doctors Without Borders" campaign that revealed very sad numbers. Every fourth child between the ages of six and 16 who has to live in or around Moria has already tried to kill herself or was thinking about it.

Germany's help in the crisis a mockery: "You only start laughing, then you get grim" 

The fact that Germany has now agreed to accept 50 children is a mockery for Beigui . " I find it particularly bad to portray that as generous or human, " he complains, "we visit friends from time to time in the camp. When I told them that Germany is now accepting 50 or Luxembourg twelve, they laughed at first . You start laughing, then you get grim . Then the hand clenches into a fist . "

Coronavirus overshadows a lot: "Authorities have watched people drown"

While the corona crisis in Europe * seems to be hiding everything else, five ships were in distress in the Mediterranean , Beigui reports, one of them even capsized . “ European authorities have watched people drown . Right in front of our gates, really close enough to touch, ”he says, stunned,“ everything is dominating Corona . I get more hopeless every day , I have to say. "

Human rights violations against refugees: "I think less and less of Europe"

He also speaks of illegal pullbacks . This refers to the towing back of refugee boats that have almost reached the saving bank . Such violations of human rights can be observed not only from the Turkish side . "The Greek Navy and Frontex are no better off, " the observer has to admit, " I think less and less of Europe . "

Conditions make refugee aid workers despair: Moria is about to become a mass grave

The conditions now made him despair , he slowly also no longer knew what to do, how to help. The urgent warning is that Moria is about to become a mass grave . 

Dariush Beigui's rhetorical question is why it was possible to fly in asparagus sticks quickly and easily, while people on the Greek islands still have to suffer .

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide editorial network of Ippen-Digital.