Moria / Lesbos: Registration speeded up a few days before visit of UN High Commissioner for Refugees

António Guterres is going to visit Greece for the days between 9.-12. October to assess refugee crisis in Greece. In Lesvos, Guterres is going to visit the main arrival points of refugees and the so-called reception centers, while he will meet with local officials, NGOs working on the island and volunteer groups.

Only two days before his arrival to Greece local authorities suddenly started again using the expedited registration procedures in Moria pre-removal centre for the non-Syrian refugees, which they had applied during the escalation of the refugee crisis in the first 10 days of September, when 30,000 refugees were stuck on the island. The lighter bureaucracy is being used in Moria within the last month with an on off button every time things are getting worse, while in the Syrian camp Kara Tepe registration procedures got eased on a long term basis weeks ago.

During the last week non-Syrian refugees in Moria – among them many children – were suffering once more tear gas attacks and beatings by riot police as they were trying desperately to enter the pre-removal centre for registration. Dozens of refugees were transported to the hospital during these days.