The Norwegian authorities have decided to bring 50 asylum seekers from Greece to Norway, in a bid to help out Greece, after a fire that burnt down the Moria reception camp for asylum seekers on Lesvos, worsened the conditions the latter live in.
The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness has already asked the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to start with the necessary procedures to pick up 50 asylum seekers from Greece
“We have been waiting for eight countries to relocate, but now the situation in Greece is of such a nature that we want to speed up this process. Norway will bring 50 asylum seekers to Norway,” said the Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Monica Mæland while announcing this decision.
According to her, the Ministry has decided to bring over vulnerable families from Syria with children, who will most likely qualify for residence, while pointing out that the pandemic will make the process a lot harder than in a normal situation.
“It will be a demanding process under these conditions, but we have good systems and skilled professionals who have experience with such work,” she said.
The overcrowded Moria camp in Greece’s island of Lesbos caught in a fire just after midnight last Tuesday leaving thousands of refugees and asylum seekers without their tents and containers. No injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
The Moria camp has hosted about 12 thousand people, which is four times its capacity, and the Greek authorities have often been criticised for the poor living conditions in there. The camp was placed into quarantine last week after an asylum seeker tested COVID-19 positive.
After the fires broke out, the EU and Schengen Area Member States have immediately rushed to help out Greece.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development has already allocated 1 million euros for emergency aid to Greece, in order to provide shelter and basic needs like food, medical assistance and psycho-social support to refugees.
Greece has continuously received financial help from the Union and the Member States in order to support the Greek asylum system.
Earlier this year, Norway had launched a project to establish up to 300 reception places that will benefit around 1,000 unaccompanied minors and vulnerable migrants in order to contribute to vulnerable asylum seekers being taken care of.
SOURCE: Schengen Visa Info
