May 2019 | Reception crisis in Northern Greece: three years of emergency solutions Footnotes i Source: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179 (last visited: 08.05.2019) In seven cases the families / individuals had arrived from the land borders to Greece and in 21 from the Aegean islands. RSA researchers interviewed 12 Syrians, 11 Afghans, 2 Iranians, 2 Congolese and one refugee from Iraq. iii Interviews were taken on 25-30 August 2018 in Thessaloniki and in front of the camps of Vaghiochori, Diavata, Nea Kavala, Koutsochero and Filippiada. RSA had conducted field-trips to the camps of the region also in April and September 2017. The people interviewed were contacted again by telephone in 1-3 March 2019 for an update on their situation. Two of the interviewees could not be contacted again. In seven cases the interviewees had left Greece after August 2018 as soon as they had got their travel documents or after being informed that they would have to leave the camps by end of March 2019. iv In the spring of 2018, RSA spoke with refugees residing in four camps in the regions of Attica and Voiotia. See: Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) 13.08.2018: Reception Crisis in Greece: The Malignancy of Atticas’ Refugee Camps. Source: https://rsaegean.org/en/reception-crisis-in-greece/#_edn64 (last visited: 3 March 2019) In 2016 RSA conducted research on the situation of vulnerable refugees in the camps of Attica. See: RSPA / PRO ASYL 2016: Vulnerable Lives on Hold. Refugees are hardly surviving the mass camps in the Athens Region. Source: https://www.proasyl.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2016-05-24-Vulnerable-lives-onHold-final.pdf (last visited: 3 March 2019) v Source: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/68057 (last visited: 3 March 2019) vi Source: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/66038 (last visited: 8 April 2019) vii 25,000 stayed in apartments or buildings by UNHCR, 11.500 lived in the five Aegean Island hotspots, around 6,000 were hosted by an emergency shelter program of IOM mainly in hotels, 2,000 were hosted in flats rented by a program of Ministry of Migration, 2,000 minors stayed in facilities of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Sources: http://www.immigration.gov.gr/article-details//journal_content/56_INSTANCE_qAPKlk32D3aH/20182/61311?back=press-release (last visited: 8 April 2019); http://www.immigration.gov.gr/documents/20182/31265/Fotografiko_leukoma_prosfyges_engl.pdf/cac15 26e-ca6a-4863-818e-4e0aed574276 (last visited: 8 April 2019); Statistics for 28 February 2019. http://mindigital.gr/index.php/προσφυγικό-ζήτημα-refugee-crisis/3640national-situational-picture-regarding-the-islands-at-eastern-aegean-sea-28-02-2019 (last visited 8 April 2019); See also statement by Minister Vitsas at the end of March 2019: http://www.immigration.gov.gr/articledetails/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_qAPKlk32D3aH/20182/61311?back=press-releases (last visited: 8 April 2019) viii Source: http://www.immigration.gov.gr/article-details//journal_content/56_INSTANCE_qAPKlk32D3aH/20182/58949?back=press-release (last visited: 8 April 2019) ix Source: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179 (last visited: 23 April 2019) x Joint Ministerial Decision 3/5262, “Establishment of the Open Facility for the hospitality of asylum seekers and persons belonging to vulnerable groups in Eleonas Attica Region”, 18 September 2015, Gov. Official Gazette B2065/18.09.2015 and Joint Ministerial Decision 3.2/6008 “Establishment of the Open Facility for the temporary reception of applicant of international protection”, 18 September 2015, Gov. Official Gazette B’ 1940/6.06.2017. Source: https://www.firstreception.gov.gr/PRImages/EditorImages/Ευρετήριο%20Νομοθεσίας%20ΥΠΥΤ _Ιούνιος%202018.pdf (last visited 8 April 2019); https://www.firstreception.gov.gr/PRImages/EditorImages/Ευρετήριο%20Νομοθεσίας%20ΥΠΥΤ_Ιούνιος %202018.pdf (last visited: 8 April 2019) xi Joint Ministerial Decision 3/14762, “Establishment of Open Facilities for the Temporary Hospitality of applicant for international protection”, Gov. Gazette Β’ 3720/16.11.2016. Source: https://www.firstreception.gov.gr/PRImages/EditorImages/Ευρετήριο%20Νομοθεσίας%20ΥΠΥΤ _Ιούνιος%202018.pdfhttps://www.firstreception.gov.gr/PRImages/EditorImages/Ευρετήριο%20Νομοθεσίας%20Υ ΠΥΤ_Ιούνιος%202018.pdf (last visited: 8 April 2019) xii Greek term: Δομές Προσωρινής Υποδοχής Αιτούντων Διεθνή Προστασία. See: Article 10(3) L 4375/2016. According to the same Law, the government also has the option to open temporary accommodation facilities (Δομές Προσωρινής Φιλοξενίας) for persons subject to return procedures or whose return has been suspended (see: Article 10(4) L 4375/2016). xiii Annual internal reports of RSA about the living conditions in the camps of Northern Greece (unpublished) xiv Source: https://rsaegean.org/en/reception-crisis-in-greece/ (last visited: 8 April 2019) xv 17.8.2017: http://www.patrisnews.com/kathistiki-diamartyria-prosfygon-ke-metanaston-se-kentro-filoxenias-stadiavata/ (last visited: 8 April 2019) ii https://rsaegean.org/en/reception-crisis-in-northern-greece-three-years-of-emergency-solutions 32