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Moria fire: the cause of the flames inferno is now clear - terrible suspicion - Merkel reacts

2020-09-11T03:32:46.071Z


The Moria refugee camp on Lesbos (Greece) was on fire and almost completely destroyed. More and more politicians, including from the government, are calling for migrants to be accepted into Germany.


The Moria refugee camp on Lesbos (Greece) was on fire and almost completely destroyed.

More and more politicians, including from the government, are calling for migrants to be accepted into Germany.

  • The

    Moria refugee camp

    on the island of

    Lesbos

    in

    Greece

    fell victim to flames on Wednesday night.

  • The fires were

    preceded by unrest among

    residents after the

    Corona *

    quarantine

    .

  • The police fought riots by young people with

    tear gas

    - minors are evacuated.

Update from September 10th, 5:56 p.m.:

After Chancellor

Angela Merkel

and French President

Emmanuel Macron

proposed to take in 400 unaccompanied minors from the

Moira refugee camp

in a joint EU campaign

, Munich's Mayor

Dieter Reiter

follows suit

.

He pointed out again on Thursday that the city can currently accept 200 to 300 refugees.

But he also warned: "The fate of the approximately 13,000 people who are now homeless in

Lesbos

must not only depend on the commitment of individual communities."

Update from September 10th, 3:04 p.m .:

Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President

Emmanuel Macron

want to

take in

400 unaccompanied minors

in a joint action with other

EU countries

after the fires in the Greek

refugee camp Moria

.

According to information from the dpa in Berlin, the number applies to all participating countries - how many of them Germany would take over has not yet been determined, it said.

Fire in Moria: 16 Union members of the Bundestag oppose Interior Minister Seehofer

Update from September 10th, 2:36 p.m.:

More and more members of the

Union

oppose the course in the

refugee question

by

Horst Seehofer (CSU)

.

In a

letter to the Interior Minister

,

16 members of the Union Bundestag

, including the human rights policy spokesman Michael Brand (see update from September 10th, 9:10 a.m.), demanded the admission of 5,000 recognized refugees from mainland Greece.

"We ask that Germany take in 5,000 refugees from the Greek mainland, if possible jointly with other EU states, but if necessary also alone,", says the letter that the dpa has received.

The priority now is not to shape European refugee policy, "but to alleviate obvious human hardship".

From the

Union

parliamentary group, it was said that the 16 MEPs would not speak for the parliamentary group and that the letter had not been discussed with anyone else.

There was a lack of understanding about the advancement of MEPs, as it was a European matter.

An exclusively German reaction would be unfortunate in this context.

Refugee camp fire on Lesbos: The cause of the inferno of flames is now clear - terrible suspicions are in the room

Update from September 10th, 1.30 p.m.:

According to the

Greek government

,

migrants started

the

fire in Moria

itself.

"The fire was started by people who have applied for asylum - in response to the quarantine imposed because of the coronavirus," said

government spokesman Stelios Petsas

.

These are people who “don't respect their host country,” said Petsas.

With such actions, however, these people torpedoed any solution.

“We'll tell you straight and clear: You won't leave the island because of the fire.

They can forget that. ”The arsonists only managed to make thousands of people - including families - homeless, criticized Petsas.

Athens

wants to carry out 19,000 corona tests on Lesbos in the next few days.

The fear of an uncontrollable virus outbreak is great after 35 migrants tested positive for the virus and can no longer be found.

Major fire in Moria refugee camp on Lesbos: France and Germany want to take in refugees together

Update from September 10th, 1:10 p.m.:

After the

flames in the Moria refugee camp

,

France

and

Germany are

planning

a proposal to take in

refugees

.

It is particularly about minors, said French President

Emmanuel Macron

.

Other European partners should also be won: "We have to show

solidarity

with

Greece

." It is now a question of a "good solidarity response" to Greece, said the 42-year-old. 

Update from September 10, 10:10 a.m.:

The pressure on

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU)

to quickly take in

refugees

from

Moria

is growing.

Numerous representatives of parties, associations and churches are demanding quick action from the CSU politician.

The managing director of the refugee aid organization

Pro Asyl

, Günter Burkhardt, criticized it on Thursday as a "diversionary maneuver" that Seehofer made admission dependent on a European agreement on the distribution of refugees.

"Anyone who talks about a European solution here is playing for time and looking for an alibi for inaction."

Not only the opposition, but also high-ranking politicians from their own ranks, such as

Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU)

(see update at 10:10 a.m.) or

Michael Brand

(CDU) (see update at 9:10 a.m.) are

calling for the migrants to be accepted

.

Even

CSU boss Markus Söder

wrote on Twitter: “All of Europe and Germany must act and help.

Should the federal government decide to take people in, Bavaria will of course take part. ”Will the interior minister give in to the increasing pressure?

Greece: Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) also calls for refugees from Moria to be accepted - Sharp criticism of Brussels

Update from September 10, 10:10 a.m.: Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU)

spoke plain text on

ARD television

on Wednesday evening

.

He advocates the admission of

2000 refugees from Moria

in

Germany

.

Within the

EU,

Germany

must lead the way

in a “coalition of the willing”.

Müller also shot sharply against Brussels: “It's not the refugees from Greece, it's the refugees from Europe.

That is why this issue must be resolved by Europe and the EU.

But I don't hear a signal from Brussels. ”One could not wait for a unanimous European agreement:“ Eight strong states could solve the problem now. ”

Müller

visited

Moria

earlier and now spoke of a "prison".

Refugees

would be "penned up like criminals" there.

It was foreseeable that such a catastrophe would occur, he said on

ARD focal point

.

He also warned of further disasters in the Balkans or Lebanon that are already looming: "It is a cry for help that unfortunately does not reach Europe."

Fire in refugee camp Moria: 5000 refugees to Germany?

CDU politician calls for Germany to go it alone - "treated worse than cattle"

: Update of 10 September, 9:10

The

human rights policy spokesman of the CDU parliamentary group

in the Bundestag, Michael Brand, calls for the

* Brand in Moria

that Germany, if necessary, single-handedly

take 5000 refugees

should.

Brand said on Thursday on Südwestrundfunk (SWR) that this humanitarian measure was urgently needed after what had happened there for years and had been "ignored".

The people in the

camp

on the

island of Lesbos

have been "treated worse than we treat our cattle," says Brand.

It should not “send the signal that

Europe will

only react if you set fire to the refugee camps yourself”.

However, care must be taken to ensure that only those people come to Germany who have already gone through an asylum procedure in Greece.

Major fire in Moria refugee camp: unaccompanied minors brought to the mainland

Update from September 10th, 8:10 am:

After the

major fire

in the

Moria refugee camp

, the first measures to accommodate people are underway.

165 unaccompanied minors

were evacuated and taken on board a plane from Lesbos to

Thessaloniki

.

Another 240 are to follow.

The fire brigade was able to extinguish several small fires that broke out on Thursday night.

Some young people had tried to come to the capital of the island, as reported by the Greek state television.

The police were attacked with stones and

tear gas was

used.

After

35 corona cases were

found

in the refugee camp

, there is great fear of the uncontrolled spread of the pandemic.

The infected people went into hiding as a result of the major fire and could infect thousands of people.

Wow!

Thousands of people demonstrate in front of Berlin Central Station for the evacuation of the people in #Moria.

#LeaveNoOneBehind pic.twitter.com/V1ZcMuaQMT

- Erik Marquardt (@ErikMarquardt) September 9, 2020

It is not yet known exactly how many people became homeless in the disaster.

Most recently, the camp was

completely overcrowded

with around

12,500 people

.

Moria refugee camp: New fires on Thursday night - Germans demonstrate for refugee admission

Update of September 10, 6.40 pm:

In the

refugee camp Moria

an apparently

new fire

erupted.

An

afp

photographer saw flames in a part of the camp that had previously been little affected by the fire disaster.

At least 3,500 refugees are said to have become homeless.

+

Another fire broke out in the Moria refugee camp.

© LOUISA GOULIAMAKI / AFP

There was

chaos

again

.

The victims ran from the camp while their tents burned.

Meanwhile, thousands of people

in

Germany

demonstrated for the acceptance of refugees from the camp.

The

"

Seebrücke

"

organization

called for protests in several German cities, including Berlin.

Federal Foreign Minister

Heiko Maas

(SPD) spoke of a "

humanitarian catastrophe

" and called for those affected to be distributed among EU member states.

Interior Minister

Horst Seehofer

rejected advances from various federal states that had agreed to accept.

He insists on Europe-wide distribution.

There was criticism of this “blockade” attitude from the SPD.

Fire in refugee camp on Lesvos: pictures of the burning refugee camp are reminiscent of a war zone

Update from September 9th, 6.45pm:

The impressions from the completely devastated

Moria refugee camp

are reminiscent of pictures from a war zone.

The

sea ​​rescue service "Mission Lifeline"

, which distributes a corresponding video on Twitter, writes of "hot, biting air".

You can still see "a few charred remains of the belongings of the people trapped here".

The post goes on to say: “You can feel the panic from last night.

A hell for the

27 EU states

that bear responsibility. ”The association founded in Dresden in 2016 also points out that new fires have already broken out in the camp.

A picture of destruction presents itself to us.

It's hot, the air bites, a few charred remains of the belongings of the people trapped here.

1/3 of them are children.

You can feel the panic from last night.

A hell for which 27 EU countries are responsible.

pic.twitter.com/Fq0kJ5PM26

- MISSION LIFELINE (@SEENOTRETTUNG) September 9, 2020

Moria: After the fire broke out, the SPD parliamentary group leader now has Merkel responsible

Update from September 9th, 2.30 p.m.:

The

federal government

already

wants to provide practical help

for the

burned down refugee camp Moria

- but the SPD is

now

demanding

a quick decision

from

Chancellor Angela Merkel

with a view to the possible admission of refugees.

"We are urging the Chancellor to find a quick solution," said

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich

on Wednesday.

"There are numerous federal states and municipalities in Germany that are ready to take in refugees from Moria immediately," he emphasized.

The resistance of

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (SPD) to

this has

already been

incomprehensible.

"Any further waiting threatens to cost human lives."

Merkel's Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD)

said at an event in front of members of parliament that it was urgent to ask what could be done in Europe to help people, especially children and young people - "also by being accepted into Germany".

With regard to the situation of the refugees, he said, "that we in Europe must be ashamed that we have not managed to do this together".

Update from September 9, 2:19 p.m.:

The

federal government is

offering

Greece

help after the

devastating fire in the Moria refugee camp

.

The Ministry of the Interior announced this after a phone call between

Head

of

Department Horst Seehofer (CSU)

and the Greek

Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis

.

Mitarakis described in the conversation that "large parts of the facility were destroyed, so that one must assume that it can no longer be used in its current form," said Seehofer's spokesman.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to first clarify with the Greek authorities what help is needed and then "provide it quickly and easily," said the spokesman.

The fire "also makes it clear that there is an urgent need to

find a European solution

to

the

refugee issue

at European level

," he said.

Now it is advisable to enter into discussions “intensively”.

Moria / Lesbos: Camp partly destroyed after fire - NRW wants to take in 1000 migrants

Update

from September 9, 2020, 1:55 p.m.: Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU)

wants to take in

up to

1000 refugees

from the almost completely burned down Greek

refugee camp Moria

in

North Rhine-Westphalia

.

He announced this to the

dpa

.

“The pictures from

Moria

are startling.

The people on the run lost everything after the fire, even the simple roof over their heads, ”explained

Laschet

.

"Rapid humanitarian aid is required here."

He had

already offered direct help

to the

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

.

"We now need both: rapid, immediate aid for

Moria

and sustainable, European help in taking in children and families."

He had also offered the federal government support with the equipment - "with tents, medicines and everything that is urgently needed", reported the

NRW Prime Minister

.

“Now it is important that Greece say exactly what it needs.

The call for help from Moria is heard in North Rhine-Westphalia. "

Moria on Lesbos: 35 corona infected people disappeared on the run - panic among the population

Update

from September 9, 2020, 1:32 p.m.:

Among the almost

13,000 migrants

from the

refugee camp

are

35 confirmed corona infected people

.

Because of her, the camp was

quarantined

, which caused unrest on Tuesday.

As a result of the unrest, it is not yet clear whether in direct connection with them, the fires broke out during the night.

After almost the entire

Moria refugee camp was

destroyed, the

migrants are

currently being monitored by the police on a central country road.

Many of them were on their way to the

island's capital, Mytilene

, which is only six kilometers away.

This leads to panic among the population.

The mood is also fueled by reports from the media.

"13,000 refugees on the streets - 35 

Corona

positives," reports a Greek TV station in the morning.

Even local politicians such as the

mayor Stratos Kytelis the town of Mytilene

, express fears publicly that the fugitives the

coronavirus

would spread uncontrollably on the island.

The

35 infected people

and their contacts, who should also have been quarantined in the camp, could not yet be found and isolated among the mass of migrants.

Moria: FDP leader Christian Linder calls for higher prioritization of the refugee issue after the fire drama

Update

September 9, 2020 12:45:

Even

FDP leader Christian Linder

Calls, in view of the

fires in crowded refugee camps Moria

on the Greek island

of Lesbos

to prioritize the

refugee issue

during the German

EU presidency

.

“The pictures from Moria are shocking.

For five years, the EU has failed to find a European solution to the refugee issue, ”Lindner tweeted on Wednesday.

The topic must be "right at the top."

As of July 1st, Germany took over the presidency of the Council of the

European Union

for six months

.

There

has so far been no agreement

on a common

refugee policy

.

Meanwhile,

Germany

offered help to

Greece

.

"We have been in intensive talks with the Greek government since yesterday," wrote the

interior ministry's spokesman, Steve Alter

, on Twitter.

He said: "We have helped Greece in the past and of course we will help now".

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU)

have already offered this.

He did not say exactly how this help could look.

Fire in Moria refugee camp: Amnesty International calls for humane accommodation for migrants

Update

from September 9, 2020, 12:10 p.m.: The

human rights organization

Amnesty International

has called for humane accommodation for the around 13,000 asylum seekers.

“After the fires, the people from Moria are now waiting on the streets with their belongings.

You have to be brought to safety immediately, ”said Amnesty expert for asylum policy Franziska Vilmar on Wednesday.

Amnesty International is

now demanding very quick and pragmatic solutions

from the

Greek government

and other

EU member states

.

This included "the evacuation of the refugees to mainland Greece and further redistribution to other European countries," emphasized Vilmar.

Human rights can only be respected through adequate accommodation, access to medical care and a fair asylum procedure

+

Migrants in the burning Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos.

© Manolis LAGOUTARIS / AFP

Update

from September 9, 2020, 11.12 a.m.:

The

domestic political spokesman for the Union

parliamentary group

, Mathias Middelberg

, has

spoken

out against a

national aid campaign

for

migrants in Moria

.

"The latest development on

Lesbos

makes it clear how urgent a European response to the refugee development is," said the

CDU politician

on Wednesday to the dpa.

Greece

must now receive all the support it needs.

The EU-Turkey agreement, which provides for the return of boat refugees from the Greek islands to Turkey, must be implemented and the

reform of the Common European Asylum System

advanced.

The federal government should work for this.

"

Unilateral Germany

but would not be useful because they could give the impression that Germany would accept the refugees alone," said Middelberg.

This

would tend to hinder the

chance of joint

European action

.

Even

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD)

calls for a

European solution

, "What happens in Moria, is a humanitarian disaster.

We have to clarify

with the

EU Commission

and other helpful

EU member states as

soon as possible how we

can support

Greece

.

What is happening in #Moria is a humanitarian disaster.

We have to clarify as quickly as possible with the EU Commission and other helpful EU member states how we can support Greece.

This also includes the distribution of refugees among those willing to take in the EU.

- Heiko Maas 🇪🇺 (@HeikoMaas) September 9, 2020

Moria refugee camp on Lesbos is on fire - Norway takes in 50 migrants

Unlike

Germany

,

Norway

acts

immediately.

The Norwegian government decided on Wednesday

to bring

50 people

from the camp to Norway, preferably families with children.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg

said the decision was made when the pictures of the fire were seen that morning.

The decision

to bring 50 asylum seekers to Norway

was made in May - provided eight to ten other countries do the same.

Because of the current situation, Norway did not want to wait any longer, said Solberg: "In the situation and the chaos that reigns now, we just have to get going."

Moria refugee camp almost completely destroyed - government and Union politicians are holding back with statements

Update

from September 9, 2020, 10.30 a.m.:

The

Moria refugee camp

on the Greek island of

Lesbos was

almost completely destroyed

in a

major fire

*.

That said two officers of the

fire brigade

on Wednesday on state television (ERT).

State television, which was allowed to report from the camp with a special permit, showed pictures of charred container apartments and burned tents around the camp.

The Greek interior minister and those responsible for the Corona crisis team wanted to get an idea of ​​the situation on site and announce in the evening how it should proceed, said government spokesman Stelios Petsas.

Numerous fires broke out in and around the camp on Wednesday night.

The government speaks of

arson

and has strengthened the security forces on the island. 

The

German government

has not yet issued a statement on the situation on

Lesbos

.

While numerous politicians from the

opposition and the SPD

have already

spoken

out on

Twitter

and are demanding consequences, nothing has been heard from government members on social media in the morning hours.

There is still silence in the ranks of the Union.

Moria refugee camp on Lesbos: Fire largely under control - migrants monitored on the motorway

Update

September 9, 2020 9:27:

The

fire department

got the

fires in Moria

, despite the strong winds now largely under control, the reports

ARD correspondent Thomas Bormann

.

There are still no official reports about possible injuries or deaths.

However, Prime Minister

Kyriakos Mitsotakis

has called an emergency meeting.

The

12,000 migrants

are currently being monitored by the police on a highway, according to Stratos Kytelis, Mayor of the city of Mytilene.

"It's a very difficult situation because some of those out there have tested positive for the

coronavirus

," said the mayor.

Greece: Moria refugee camp on Lesbos in flames - Violent criticism of Horst Seehofer and the EU

Update from September 9, 2020, 8.44 a.m.:

The

fires in Moria are

causing

discussions in politics.

Katarina Barley (SPD

) speaks of an

“inferno with announcement”

and asks why the member states have closed their eyes to these conditions for so long.

Her party colleague

Kevin Kühnert also

calls on the

EU

to act: “First save people, then name the guilty.

The EU member states must evacuate Moria immediately.

Hundreds of municipalities and, in Germany, entire federal states have agreed to accept the membership.

Anyone who blocks now acts with intent. "

First save people, then name the guilty.

The EU member states must evacuate #Moria immediately.

Hundreds of municipalities and, in Germany, entire federal states have agreed to accept the membership.

Anyone who blocks now acts with intent.

https://t.co/zrTGLf0FQd

- Kevin Kühnert (@KuehniKev) September 9, 2020

The

domestic policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Konstantin Kuhle

, also sees the blame on the EU: “The situation in and around

Moria

has been dangerous and explosive for many months.

During my visit in February I was able to convince myself that the EU must have an interest in relieving the camp.

The current escalation was predictable. "

NRW refugee minister Joachim Stamp (FDP) is

calling for a rapid reaction from the

federal government and the EU.

"It is pathetic that the EU watched so long until

this escalation occurred

in

Moria

," said Stamp on Wednesday.

Immediate action is now necessary in order not to let a catastrophe occur.



The countries had already offered help, said Stamp.

“The federal government has to take over the coordination.

Horst Seehofer

and

Heiko Maas

have so far remained inactive.

That has to change immediately. ”Since

Germany holds the EU Council Presidency

, it has a special responsibility.

"If the

EU is

not in a position to accommodate a few thousand migrants in a humane manner, it is a declaration of bankruptcy for the European system of values."

Greece: Moria refugee camp is completely on fire - migrants throw stones at firefighters

Update from September 9, 2020, 8:08 a.m.:

Whether the

fires in Moria were started

by

migrants

or

islanders

is still unclear - the information on this initially differed.

The head of operations reported on television that

camp residents had pelted

the

fire fighters

with

stones

after the

fire

and tried to prevent them from doing the extinguishing work.

Special units of the riot police were in action.

Videos on social media showed wandering, scared people and also those singing "Bye bye, Moria!"

Current pictures from #Moria.

Children and families try to flee.

pic.twitter.com/eZ48e3N49d

- MISSION LIFELINE (@SEENOTRETTUNG) September 8, 2020

Many of the more than 12,000

migrants

and

refugees

fled to the surrounding forests and hills, while others made their way to the island's capital,

Mytilini

, as reported by the Greek media.

Sometimes island residents opposed them and blocked the way.

There have

always been

tensions in

Moria

, because of the

corona problem

, the situation has now literally exploded,

Mytilinis Mayor Stratos Kytelis told

the

Greek state broadcaster ERT

.

One does not know where the people should be housed now, thousands are homeless.

The situation is also an enormous burden for the locals.

Greece: Moria refugee camp on Lesbos is completely in flames - was it arson?

First report from September 9, 2020:

Athens - On

Wednesday night,

several

fires

broke out

in the Greek

refugee camp Moria

on

Lesbos

.

According to media reports, residential containers are also on

fire

.

Therefore, the authorities had to

evacuate

the

camp

.

The

Greek

state

radio station ERT

reported in the early hours of the morning that almost everyone

had left the camp,

which was almost completely on

fire

.

Strong winds, some of which reached up to 60 kilometers per hour, fanned the

flames

.

Aid organizations and local volunteers reported on social media about people for whom smoke and flames had cut off their escape routes.

Greece: Moria refugee camp is completely in flames - Different information about causes

There

were different statements

about the causes of the

fire

: some

camp residents

spoke of

arson

by islanders, according to other reports

migrants

had set fire themselves and then prevented the

fire brigade

from extinguishing the fire.

Since Tuesday evening there has been a

forest fire

on the island

about 25 kilometers northwest of Moria, with which the fire brigade is fighting at the same time.

Moria is on fire.

There were always fires, but that's different, #Moria is burning.

I don't know who started the fires.

But I know that many want this degrading place to no longer exist.

We have failed politically for years.

Europe fails.

#leavenoonebehind pic.twitter.com/i2QYoO0OTU

- Erik Marquardt (@ErikMarquardt) September 8, 2020

The

Moria refugee camp

has been hopelessly overcrowded for years; according to the Greek Ministry of Migration, around

12,600 refugees and migrants are

currently living there

- with a capacity of just 2,800 places.

Since last week, more and more cases of

corona infections have

occurred, which is why the warehouse has been

quarantined

.

This also led to unrest among migrants.

It was announced on Tuesday that there were 35 infected people.

The

semi-state news agency ANA-MPA

reported that some refugees wanted to leave the camp to avoid becoming infected.

Some infected people, on the other hand, refused to leave the camp and be brought into isolation.

The catastrophic conditions in the refugee camp have already sparked many debates in German politics.

Individual federal states and cities wanted to accept refugees voluntarily.

However, Federal Interior Minister 

Horst Seehofer

 (CSU) had banned this.

Just recently, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet also wanted to get an impression of the refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

But the visit ends abruptly.

(dpa)

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

List of rubric lists: © Panagiotis Balaskas / AP / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-09-11

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