Moria migrant camp fire fuels local anger as Greek authorities struggle to help refugees

In the aftermath of the devasting Moria fire, authorities in Greece are scrambling to house thousands of refugee men, women and children who have been forced out on the road. As per The Guardian reports, Greek authorities have also had to contend with intense opposition from local officials that have demanded that the Moria facility, which is Greece’s largest migrant camp, be removed from the island of Lesbos.

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Fierce local opposition at Lebos

For now, Greek authorities have started erecting large white tents that will be used to temporarily house the migrants. The goal is to be able to house 2,000-3,000 migrants at the temporary site by the weekend.

As per reports, Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachis has stated that his officials are doing their utmost to ensure the migrants have somewhere safe to sleep but the local administration has so far rejected all of their proposals and is refusing to cooperate. After the devastating fire, migrants young and old have been forced to sleep wherever they can find a place to lie down -- churches, graveyards, fields, supermarket car parks, and even along the sides of roads.

Moria migrant camp was set up back in 2015-16 and was constituted to handle the massive wave of migration into Europe. The camp is currently occupied by people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and was originally designed to house 2,750 people.

Read: Moria Camp Fire: 10 EU Countries Agree To Accept 400 Minor Refugees After Greece's Call

German and France offer help

Earlier this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to take on the responsibility of 400 unaccompanied minors from the Moria migrant camp. The children will be moved to other parts of the European Union as per the deal.

During a panel discussion in Berlin, Angela Merkel state that European Union nations must assume ‘shared responsibility’ for the migrant crisis. Following Germany and France’s example, the Netherlands has also offered to accept 100 families with children from the Moria migrant camp which is home to some 13,000 people.

Read: Moria Migrants: Greece Sends Three Ships To Help Shelter 13,000 Refugees After Fire

Read: Moria Migrants: Germany, France Offer To Take In 400 Unaccompanied Refugee Children