Conclusion MSF in Greece 1 Athens – Day Care Centre; Victoria Square Health Centre; Clinic for Victims of Torture A dramatic mental health emergency is unfolding on the islands of Samos and Lesvos, as the EU and the Greek Government attempt at all cost to prevent arrivals of asylum seekers on Greek shores, to contain those that are there and ensure their readmission to Turkey. 2 Attica & Central Greece – mobile units in camps (Malakasa, Lavrio, Rafina, 5 2 Having survived violence and conflict in their home country, asylum seekers are now victims to the institutional violence generated by the EU and Greece’s deterrence policies. They are being crushed by a system that disregards their needs, vulnerabilities and rights. Ritsona, Thermopyles) 3 1 3 Lesvos – clinic in Mytilini 4 4 Samos – mobile unit at the Registration & Identification Center; shelter in Vathy As Greece’s highest administrative court issued its decision in late September that Syrian asylum seekers could be returned to Turkey, there is growing concern this could lead to further riots, violence, trauma and detention. 5 Epirus – mobile units in refugee sites (Agia Eleni, Doliana, Filipiada, Konitsa); flats & OXFAM/ARSIS Service Center in Ioannina Unless new vulnerability assessments are carried out before forced returns to Turkey, medical conditions and vulnerabilities that developed over time may be missed, and the returns could jeopardise the health, lives and dignity of returnees. © Guillaume Binet/MYOP It is a humanitarian imperative to move asylum seekers from the islands to the Greek mainland, where there is greater likelihood of access to services and where conditions are less critical. People’s extreme vulnerability and the complete failure of systems put in place on the islands leave no other choice. Children at the port of Samos. © Guillaume Binet/MYOP MSF has been providing medical and humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers and migrants in Greece since 1996. In 2014, MSF expanded its activities in Greece to meet the needs of asylum seekers arriving on the Greek islands and mainland from Turkey. In 2016, MSF medical teams in Greece carried out more than 72,500 health consultations, covering primary health care, treatment for chronic diseases, sexual and reproductive health care, physiotherapy, as well as mental health care. In 2017, MSF teams have focused on the medical and mental health care needs of victims of violence, including torture and sexual violence. During January - August 2017, MSF medical teams in Greece carried out more than 21,600 health consultations, including 8,270 mental health consultations. |12 Asylum seekers waiting for news about their asylum claims in the Samos Reception & Identification Center. MSF offers clinical psychological care sessions both in care centres in Athens and through mobile units to asylum seekers and migrants in refugee camps and sites. Individual consultations are offered by a mix-gender team, in a safe space, to help people psychologically cope with their current situation, and with symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Specialized psychiatric care is provided when needed, either internally or through referral to external partners. Group/family sessions are also held, according to their needs. 13|