UN calls on Greece to end overcrowding of refugee camps
U.N. refugee agency on Oct. 1 called on Greece to urgently move thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers out of "dangerously overcrowded" reception centers on Greek islands in the Aegean. The Greek islands now host 30,000 refugees and 10,258 of them arrived in September 2019, the highest monthly level since 2016, according to a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). At the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, 12,600 people took refuge which is five times over its capacity, the statement said. "At a nearby informal settlement, 100 people share a single toilet. Tensions remain high at Moria where a fire on Sunday in a container used to house people killed one woman. An ensuing riot by frustrated asylum-seekers led to clashes with police," the UNHCR said. "Urgent steps are needed and we urge the Greek authorities to fast-track plans to transfer over 5,000 asylum-seekers already au