Greece's islands are struggling with severe overcrowding, with 36,000 people spread across five reception centers collectively meant to shelter 5,400, according to the UNHCR.
Greek police have been accused of teargassing migrants and asylum seekers, including families with young children, in a crackdown on protesters rallying against"dire" living conditions at overcrowded camps in Lesvos on Monday.Boris Cheshirkov, the United Nations Refugee Agency's spokesperson for Greece said he had heard reports of migrants and asylum seekers being teargassed during the protests.
"I didn't come here for money, I came here for safety and for my kids to have an education," the father says, according to a translation provided by Grillmeier, as his eldest child can be seen sitting on the grass and crying.Photos of the incident also appear to paint a desperate picture, with protesters reported to have been teargassed by police being carried away by volunteers providing medical assistance.
Ultimately, Cheshirkov said, the majority of people arriving to the Greek islands by sea have been people fleeing desperate conditions in their home countries. "All together on the five islands, there are now over 36,000 people staying there in a space for 5,400," Cheshirkov said, referring to the five main reception centers across the Greek islands.
The UNHCR spokesperson has been among countless other immigration and human rights advocates to repeatedly call on the Greek government to prioritize the safety of migrant, asylum seekers and refugees and expedite an ongoing process to transfer people from the overcrowded islands to Greece's mainland.
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