COPENHAGEN, 9 September 2020 – Expressing deep concern over a tragic fire that has destroyed Greece’s largest migrant facility, the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) today reiterated the PA’s longstanding calls for relocation of migrants.

“I am extremely concerned about the fate of over 12,000 migrants after Moria was destroyed by fire,” said Cederfelt, who serves as Acting Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration. “Let us use this terrible tragedy as an opportunity to put an end to the untenable overcrowding on the Greek islands by putting into place a functioning mechanism for the equitable sharing of asylum seekers across Europe.”

The camp was placed under quarantine last week after a migrant tested positive for the coronavirus. There are now 35 confirmed cases. Cederfelt urged restraint, noting that the UN Refugee Agency has reported rising tensions between people in neighboring villages and asylum seekers.

“I call on all responsible authorities in Greece to continue efforts in ensuring the safety and health of migrants and refugees, across camps in Greece, in full respect of their rights according to international and domestic law,” Cederfelt said. “While I welcome the announcement by the European Commission that the remaining 400 unaccompanied minors will be immediately transferred from Moria to the mainland, I urge the EU and other European countries to display solidarity and speed up the relocation from Greece of these and other vulnerable migrants as a priority.”