Food distribution on Lesbos – access to food is a fundamental right

Since Wednesday, 571 people on Lesvos have been excluded from the food distribution. In order to force people out of the camp, the Ministry of Migration has abruptly restricted access to food and drink. The food distribution is guarded by the military, policemen go from door to door and tell people that they will not get any more food. We will not stand by and watch this quietly.

That people with decided asylum applications have to leave the camp may sound logical at first. But this logic is out of touch with reality. People whose asylum applications have been accepted usually have to wait weeks and months for their documents before they can even move freely. People whose applications have been denied have the right to appeal. This can sometimes take years. In both cases, people have nowhere to go, they have no money or shelter, and would be homeless without the camp.

The Greek government intends to demonstrate toughness by simply withdrawing essential support from hundreds of people. NGOs that cook and distribute extra food have been instructed to stop giving out food to rejected people. Violations are subject to criminalization.

We will not be intimidated by this. We support Europe Cares and our partner organizations on the ground to continue to distribute food for ALL people. For this we need your support.

You can find the full press release here.