Meanwhile, In Lesbos

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A video, by journalist Oscar Webb, shows how things have been unfolding at Camp Moria on Lesbos island since last Sunday.

Camp Moria, near Mytilene, was where refugees arriving on the island went to register before taking a ferry to Athens.

Now it is used as a detention centre, following the EU-Turkey deal last week. Any refugees who will arrive on the Greek islands, or who have arrived since Sunday, are supposed to be sent back to Turkey.

However, it’s still unclear how this will happen.

In addition, the MSF and the UNHCR have stopped its operations at the centres across the islands.

Patrick Kingsley, in The Guardian, writes:

A triple blow has been dealt to the integrity of the EU-Turkey migration deal after two leading aid groups refused to work with Brussels on its implementation, and a senior Greek official said nobody knew how the agreement was supposed to work.

The UN refugee agency said it was suspending most of its activities in refugee centres on the Greek islands because they were now being used as detention facilities for people due to be sent back to Turkey.

UNHCR was later joined by Médecins Sans Frontières, which said it did not want to be involved in the blanket expulsion of refugees because it contravened international law.

The UNHCR spokeswoman, Melissa Fleming, said: “UNHCR is not a party to the EU-Turkey deal, nor will we be involved in returns or detention. We will continue to assist the Greek authorities to develop an adequate reception capacity.”

In a separate and stronger statement, Marie Elisabeth Ingres, MSF’s head of mission in Greece, said: “We will not allow our assistance to be instrumentalised for a mass expulsion operation and we refuse to be part of a system that has no regard for the humanitarian or protection needs of asylum seekers and migrants.”

The deputy mayor of Lesbos, the island where most migrants land, said no Greek official knew exactly how the deportation process would work, nor what to do with the refugees while they waited.

When asked by the Guardian if he had received any concrete instructions about how refugees would be processed and returned to Turkey, Giorgos Kazanos said: “No, not yet.”

“Nobody knows. Every five minutes, the orders change. So who knows. Maybe God knows. If you have any communication with God, you can ask him.”

VIDEO: Refugees detained on Lesbos say they will jump in sea if deported (Oscar Webb, Middle East Eye)

Refugee crisis: key aid agencies refuse any role in ‘mass expulsion’ (Patrick Kingsley, The Guardian)

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59 thoughts on “Meanwhile, In Lesbos

      1. rotide

        What is the difference between eyewitness reports with this and eyewitness reports of other tragedies that you don’t believe?

  1. seanie88

    there is going to be some undue blame of all people going on but Im sorry Belgium has shown if you appease everyone what may happen to the world. Paris, Brussels were great cities and now they and others have enabled ghettoisation and we are under attack. Who knows what the solution is but flooding the continent isnt it.

    1. ahjayzis

      Belgians attacked Paris and Belgium. Belgians.
      Working under the auspices of the people the refugees are running away from.

      Taking in 0.5% of ones population worth of desperate people who need help is neither appeasement or flooding, it’s being a decent civilised society. What you’re advocating is both cowardly and contemptible.

      1. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

        This. Attacks by terrorists who are second generation are not attacks by refugees ffs

          1. Yep

            So you don’t feel political Islam is a serious factor in the terrorist attacks in Europe? Genuine question.

          2. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Sure, you already know what I think. Please tell me what to have for dinner?

          3. Yep

            I have no idea what you think, Don. I am trying to start a conversation. Your reluctance to engage is fine. It is a conversation very few want to have because once you admit you feel Islamism is a factor you are labeled all sorts of hateful slurs that have no real truth to them and are only used to shutdown debate.

            Like Moyest earlier, you go on the attack rather than converse. I have not said one derogatory thing but YOU have filled in the gaps to make me out to be the villain.

          4. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            If you wanted a proper conversation, you wouldn’t have put such stupid words in my mouth. So I don’t believe you and frankly I’m bored of people using Brussels or Paris for their own agenda. It’s stupid and ridiculous and I’m not interested.

          5. Yep

            So my original comment completely outweighs the ones after?

            You and I both know it is because you are unwilling to talk about it. Fine. Please stop demonizing people from every angle who are willing to do so.

          6. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Frankly, yes. But there you go again. You’re real good at this!

          7. Yep

            Whoops! Fair enough, I did slip into putting words in your mouth :)

            So I will put it plainly to a yes or no answer.

            Do you feel Islamism is an important factor with regards the terrorist attacks in Europe?

          8. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            It’s not one factor at all, is hugely complicated and screaming about Islam is simplistic and naive at best. See my comments on the earlier post, read the research and there you go.

          9. ahjayzis

            Islamism and Wahhabism are massive problems. Saudi Arabia is a massive problem. ISIS urgently needs to be ground into dust.

            On this I and millions of Syrian refugees being herded into detention camps agree with you.

            I can’t think of a more powerful skewering of ISIS’s founding principle, that the West and Islam are fundamentally incompatible and at war, than Europe coming to the aid of the Muslims they have driven from their homes and lives.

          10. ahjayzis

            Islamism, not Islam, Don. I think you’re picking him up wrong. Fundamentalist Islam and the doctrine of jihad is anathema to Western values – Islam and Muslims are not.

        1. Yep

          “It’s not one factor at all,” Never said it was, I said it was an important factor. Would you agree?

          “screaming about Islam is simplistic and naive at best”. Screaming? C’mon now. Islam? I said Islamism to be fair.

          I will wholly admit that it is an incredibly convoluted situation and I am in no way trying to preach a solution. I have no clue how this will be “resolved” and I genuinely fear the rise of the far-right (fupping journal comment section alone makes my stomach ache). It is just the fact that speaking ill of the negative aspects of Islam automatically brands one *insert slur here*.

          I think you understand what I am saying? Hopefully you appreciate I am not a hateful person by any means. Maybe not but there is no real way to prove otherwise.

          Cheers for replies anyway Don.

          1. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Yah, I get ya. Just cranky after reading too many stupid opinions… Soz :)

          2. Steph Pinker

            Dón Perígnon Pídgéóní is always in her flowers and she gets Moyest With Excitement at the prospect of an argument on internet fora – it’s the Same old same old story of those with multiple usernames – or maybe I’ve missread? If so, hopefully St Nagle can sort it out.

          3. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Clearly not tedious enough to stop you replying Same/Steph! Kisses!!!

          4. Anne

            “In yer flowers again Don?”

            It’s talk like that doesn’t get you the ride, you know..

            (you charmless cretin)

          5. Anne

            Sure thing Sybil.. go on away now, I’m trying to catch up on some interesting, worthy contributions.. (i.e. not your drivel)

          6. Steph Pinker

            Ooops, it looks like you both forgot the period – albeit not the one you were referring to, soso – I imagine it must be quite confusing posting comments under different usernames and with different devices, especially under your bed sheets and trying to hide your big torch from the Akela. The good thing about the multiple personalities associated with the couple of individuals who post under don the pigeon, moyest and same old, is that they don’t have the imagination or intelligence to pursue anything else in life except troll and expend their anger on BS. There are many narcissistic and obsessive people who post on BS, but your little group of troll scouts have made many people leave, and you’ve turned it into your own little anger/outrage/sarcasm/ego/bully fest, so, well done, it’s worked.

          7. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Steph pnking – the ironical act of accusing others of using multiple logins while commenting as some new rando

          8. Painkiller

            You don’t have to apologise. You have been far more respectful in this dialogue.

            He’s an arrogant and ignorant liberal lefty, less than sincere and with zero tolerance for anything that counters his view. Evasive, keen smoke and miirors and as you’ve seen, not dissimilar to the cornered rat. At his lowest, he’ll call you on typos and grammatical errors.

            Fair play you for trying to engage in open discussion.

    2. Inopera

      I think its actually frightening how regressive people always assume you are referring to the refugee crisis- ahjaysis’ should see they have in fact brought up the issue of refugees and the earlier comment refers to pre existing ghettos where militant Islam has flourished and where individuals who have caused terrorists attacks already, appear to stem from. The left will ensure we fail to act properly on this, with their shameful bigotry and accusations of racism.

  2. dan

    meanwhile in Lesbos, loads of single men are held in detention centre. Men who should have stayed and fought for their country? Men who left their wives, sisters, children where?

    1. babylonzoo4ever

      they left them at home cos there`s loads of hot chicks in germany begging to get groped.
      ”reportedly”

      Mmf

    2. ahjayzis

      Oh fook you.

      Fought for their country? Would that be siding with the ‘legal’ president of the republic, a murderous dictator barrel bombing cities and starving entire towns? Or the new government in Raqqa throwing gays off rooftops and enslaving women as sex slaves? Or Al-Qaeda maybe? Gosh there’s just so many options.

      I bet if you were in there shoes you’d be all for getting involved in that nightmare, yes sirree, real man that you are.

          1. Same old same old

            No arguments so attack the speaker?

            If you’re going to do that then at least try to be funny e.g.

            Ooh ooh witchy woman
            She got that look in her eye

          2. Painkiller

            I reckon there are about 5 people on here who are professional agitators. Card carrying social justice warriors with feck all better to do.

            Moyest, Jungman, ahjayzis, and sameoldsameold in particular.

            They are on every thread relating to. social issues asserting the same positions.

            Sickening people.

    3. B Hewson

      Some are Syrian. Many of these young men who’s backgrounds we know nothing about are from other countries, Afghans, Iraqi, Egyptians. huge numbers have no passports or identification. Impossible to know if they have been exposed to Islamic radicalisation

    4. Weldoninhio

      100%, I saw 3 women in that camp in the video and about 100 men. It’s a shambles. And the bit at the end about the 30 with fake documents not being lucky?!?. Greece needs machine gun nests on its cliffs, not bleeding hearts with binoculars.

      1. Nigel

        Greece needs some sort of viable resolution to the conflict in Syria. So, not incidentally, does Syria.

      2. MoyestWithExcitement

        You’re an idiot. You *think* you saw more men in the video so that’s objective reality? Firstly, it’s quite revealing you regard all men as potential terrorists. Secondly, you’re wrong. Official figures put it about 70% women and children.

        1. B Hewson

          All men coming from these regions *are* potential terrorists, yes. look up the word Jihadi. Then look up the word radicalised. These terrorist murders and suicide bombings throughout Western Europe have been committed by Muslim men aged between 16 and 40. You have your head I the sand off you think that grouping doesn’t need way more attention for our country and families security. We have no clue what they think and what their background is. Not worth the risk taking them in.

          1. ahjayzis

            Look up the word incorrect.

            Find it?

            That’s what you are.

            There I proved it.

            #DictionaryWin

            The acts of terrorism have been committed by Europeans, born and reared.

          2. B Hewson

            So it’s their ‘small minority’ of children who *may* be bombing us in 20 years. My bad.

          3. B Hewson

            The point still stands that a very small minority of Muslim men between 16 and 40 have been radicalised and are committing atrocities in our cities. We don’t know who these young men are and what extremism have been exposed to.

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