May 2019 | Reception crisis in Northern Greece: three years of emergency solutions https://rsaegean.org/en/reception-crisis-in-northern-greece-three-years-of-emergency-solutions - map 1. PERSISTENT CHALLENGES: OVERCROWDING, AN EMERGENCY APPROACH AND LACK OF LEGAL BASIS Mainland refugee camps have been created in response to the reception crisis caused by the closure of the Balkan corridor in March 2016 and are situated all over Greece. At the peak of the crisis, there were 40 such “emergency reception sites”. Their original residents have either been relocated to another EU country, reunified with their family, remained in Greece or reached other EU countries by travelling irregularly. Those currently living in these camps are refugees and asylum-seekers transferred from the ‘hotspots’ or those arriving from the land borders with Turkey (Evros region) and Northern Macedonia. At the end of January 2019, UNHCR estimated that the numbers of refugees and migrants in v Greece had reached more than 72.000. Out of those, 58.000 were living in the mainland . Meanwhile, the number of refugees residing in refugee camps in mainland Greece is increasing as well as the number of camps. In September 2018, around 16.500 were living in vi 26 refugee camps in the mainland while in March 2019 there were 20.000 persons living in 28 vii camps. Three years after the implementation of the EU-Turkey ‘Deal’ and despite the reality of ongoing arrivals of refugees, the Greek government has not been able so far to create a functioning reception system. Short-term emergency solutions are being implemented until today. Any increase of arrivals is viewed as “unexpected”. During 2018, a total of 50.500 refugees arrived in 2018 in Greece compared to 36.300 in 2017 viii and a massive increase was observed in the arrivals from the land border (285%). According to UNHCR, in mid-April 2019 the total arrivals in Greece had reached more than ix 9.000 (sea arrivals: 5.900; land arrivals 3.400). In addition, the majority of refugee camps in the mainland still lack legal basis. From the 28 current open camps, only three are operating on the basis of Joint a Decision by the https://rsaegean.org/en/reception-crisis-in-northern-greece-three-years-of-emergency-solutions 4