ECJ rules in favor of 67 ill-treated migrants

The ECJ has vindicated 67 migrants who had launched a case about the inhumane treatment they were given at a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2017 and 2018. Each won €5,000 as compensation for “moral damages” as well as €1,000 to cover court costs.

The Strasbourg-based court condemned Greece in its ruling, highlighting that the conditions of detention of the asylum seekers were “inhumane and degrading, mainly due to overcrowding, the difficulties arising from it, and the acute lack of basic items.”

The conditions of their detention in the now-defunct reception center at Moria had prior been described as “hell on earth” by media outlets reporting on the overcrowded facility.

Criminologist and human rights expert Vassilis Cheirdaris told the Greek newspaper EFSYN: “Once again, Greece has been condemned for its inhumane and degrading treatment and (poor) living conditions in migrant centers, highlighting the necessity to change the behavior and mentality of the domestic authorities dealing with human life.”

“Negligence and behavior that devalues human life and trivializes it should not only not be tolerated in a modern state of law, but should have legal and other consequences.”

Migrants held in ‘cage’

The migrants claimed that upon arrival at the notorious reception center, they were placed in an outdoor “cage” measuring just 40 square meters, where they were given only one sandwich to eat and a bottle of water to drink per day. They also reported having to sleep on the floor — without mattresses or blankets.

According to the testimonies of the migrants, they were later moved to summer tents, which did not protect them against bad weather, as the ground grew muddy and flooded due to summer rain. There also were reports of leaking toilets mixing with this.

The migrants said that running water was only available for up to 40 minutes a day.

Moria notorious for squalid conditions

Many of these issues were known at the time already: During a visit to Greece in June 2018, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe found that the situation in the Moria camp was in a critical state.

While the capacity of the camp was limited to a maximum of 3,100 people, according to Greece’s Minister of Migration Policy, the camp hosted more than 7,200 people by June 27, 2017, and one year later was at three times its capacity, with 9,000 people hurdled together at the overcrowded facility.

The Moria camp has long since closed down after a series devastating fires destroyed the camp in 2020.

NGOs raise alarm over new Lesbos camp

Alarmingly, there have also been claims by NGOs working with migrants at the Closed and Controlled Reception Center, which was built to replace Moria, saying that people are being mistreated at the new facility as well.

Just a week ago, the NGO Fenixaid released a statement claiming that 300 people were being denied access to food and water by the Greek authorities. The statement said that Greek authorities would stop providing food and water “for people outside of the asylum procedure living in the Lesbos Closed Controlled Access Center.”

“Approximately 300 people staying (there) are considered to be outside of the asylum procedure,” the statement further highlighted.

“The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum maintains that under asylum and migration law, only people applying for international protection are eligible for material reception conditions, including food and water. As non-governmental organizations working with people on the move, we want to emphasize that human dignity and access to food and water, irrespective of legal status, are fundamental human rights.”