Twenty-six humanitarian organizations accused the Greek authorities on Monday (October 18) of excluding certain migrants from food aid in regroupment camps located on the continent.
Read alsoGreece is preparing for a new influx of migrants
“
Although practices differ from region to region, it is roughly estimated that 60% of people living in camps on the continent do not receive food,
” said the 26 NGOs, including the Greek Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee.
Distribution of "
poor quality food
"
Since the beginning of October, the Greek authorities have been responsible for distributing emergency European financial aid to migrants accommodated in the camps, in lieu of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
But some 36,000 people in these camps have not received this aid, according to NGOs, which refer to the distribution instead of "
poor quality food and often undercooked
".
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Blackmail to migrants
"
When questioned, the Greek Migration Ministry assured that "
all asylum seekers in camps on the mainland and islands have the right to food
" and that they received three meals a day. But, he stressed, this distribution does not concern refugees who “
have to leave
” the camps. Migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected "
have an obligation to leave the country,
" the ministry said.
According to the Greek authorities, "
there is no time limit
" for paying financial aid to refugees accommodated in the camps.
This aid will be paid at the end of October, they assured.
Refugees "
have the right to work and can apply for other assistance,
" including an EU-funded integration program, the ministry added.
According to the latest estimates, the number of refugees in Greece stands at around 96,000, according to Mireille Girard, local UNHCR representative.
But many of them have already left the country to seek asylum in richer European countries.
