BRUSSELS
As thousands of migrants are fleeing war and persecution in search for a better life in Europe, Amnesty International reports the condition provided for those arriving in Greece are "dreadful".
The human rights NGO said in a statement on Monday: "Weak coordination and severe shortages in facilities and staffing are creating dreadful conditions for the hundreds of refugees and migrants arriving every day on the Greek island of Lesvos, which is seeing the highest number of arrivals in Greece."
"This is not just a Greek tragedy, but a Europe-wide crisis. It is unfolding before the eyes of short-sighted European leaders who prioritize securing borders over helping survivors of conflict," Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia said in the statement.
At least 33,000 migrants have arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos since August 1, with hundreds more are arriving every day, according to Amnesty.
The group called on Greece to set up more staff and better camp conditions to manage the crisis on Lesvos and other Greek islands.
The statement comes more than a week after police on the Greek island of Kos on August 11 hit migrants with batons and sprayed fire extinguishers to control clashes that broke out.
Both the United Nations and Doctors Without Borders have criticized Athens’ response to the migrants, who are often subjected to abuse by police and not given access hygiene facilities.
