and agencies of these LRAs, may, in order to address emergency and urgent needs, in deviation of any provision to the contrary, take all the necessary steps and enter into project, service, procurement or movable and immovable property lease contracts with third parties with regard to the reception and accommodation of newly arriving third-country citizens exclusively for meeting temporary accommodation needs, the operation of the above facilities, the transportation from the points of arrival or temporary accommodation towards or from the temporary or permanent accommodation facilities, which are within or outside their geographical boundaries, the nourishment, prompt medical care, burial expenses, humanitarian aid and management of any offer in money or in kind, the management, transportation, storage and distribution thereof, as well as any other expense that is absolutely necessary for serving the above purposes. Also, in article 18(1) and (2) of the same law, there is provision for the financial support of the Decentralised Administrations, Legal entities governed by Public Law and local and regional authorities (LRAs) of the 1st and 2nd degree, for handling the emergencies created by the entry and reception of third-country citizens. However, in practice the cooperation of the local authorities with the central administration proved to be, in broad terms, inadequate, since the parties involved initially appeared unwilling to assume their respective responsibilities, while showing mistrust towards the intentions of the other party. There are for instance municipalities which approved the removal of the newly arriving refugees and migrants from the boundaries of their administrative area as the solution to the problem of their management, while at the same time the state was dramatically delaying the measures necessary for taking the pressure off the local communities who were taking the brunt of the migration flows. Indicative of the lack of coordination and cooperation of the central administration with the LRAs is the case of the recruitments by Municipalities, of employees used for the operating needs of the camps, through the community work programme of the Greek Manpower Employment Organisation (OAED). In many cases it appears that the recruitment of the employees was delayed, which meant that the accommodation facilities for which they were being recruited had already stopped operating or their needs had changed (e.g. Herso in Kilkis, Petra in Olympos, Katsikas in Ioannina).147 147 As emerges from publications and relevant complaints, see e.g. http:// www.kathimerini.gr/892051/article/epikairothta/ellada/oi-prosfyges-efygan-oi- However, even in facilities where this staff is employed, there are issues related to how the employees are utilised, because in practice the allocation of duties and the staff’s management are not clear (e.g. Malakasa). The role of the NGOs and civil society organisations in the provision of humanitarian aid and the improvement of the living conditions in the accommodation sites proved to be invaluable. However, in this area as well, the lack of coordination and monitoring by the State, created problems that are related to the extent to which the offered aid was used, as well as its quality. NGOs Law 4375/2016 (Article 11, par. 9) lays down strict terms, based on which competences are assigned to civil society agencies for the effective operation of the Facilities for Temporary Reception and Temporary Accommodation. The same Article provides for the issue of a relevant Joint Ministerial Decision, which is still pending. The creation and keeping of a Registry of accredited agencies by the Directorate for Reception of the General Secretariat for Reception, one year after its establishment, is still pending. The lack of satisfactory living conditions for the existing residents of the accommodation and reception centers is anticipated to get worse if there is an increase in new arrivals, especially through the sea borders of Greece. This fact, combined with the excessive delays in the processing of the international protection, relocation and voluntary or involuntary removal procedures for those migrants and refugees who came into Greece without the legal formalities in the past two years, renders these accommodation sites anything but temporary. For these reasons, the immediate measures which the State must take to assure satisfactory living conditions, should be based on the prospect of a potential long-term stay. In this context, the Greek Ombudsman recommends: 1.4. Solutions Recommendations • That the inadequate sites cease their operation immediately. • That the alternative accommodation programmes (in apartments, hotels, etc.) are extended to cover as many beneficiaries as possible, also aiming at their social inclusion. diorismenoi-emeinan 47