Take Action Now - PIKPA Refugee Shelter Faces Imminent Closure
Greek authorities intend to close the open, self-organized refugee shelter PIKPA on 15 October. PIKPA has been operating in Lesvos since 2012, hosting and assisting thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers among the most vulnerable.Â
Thanks to the work of its staff and volunteers, since 2012, PIKPA has hosted and assisted thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers among the most vulnerable, providing them with a safe shelter. Since 2015, PIKPA has offered people an alternative to living in Moria camp, where conditions were overcrowded and inhumane.Â
Following the devastating series of fires that destroyed Moria camp, refugees and asylum-seekers in Lesvos have been transferred to a temporary camp, recently established on the island. This camp, however, only offers a temporary solution, does not provide adequate living conditions for its residents nor adequate safeguards to those in vulnerable situations.Â
PIKPA currently hosts around 100 vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees, including 21 unaccompanied children, and there is no clear indication about their fate should the shelter be closed. Their transfer to the temporary camp in Lesvos would expose them to risks.Â
As asylum-seekers and refugees in Lesvos and other islands live in squalid conditions, the support of NGOs is crucial. Instead of restricting NGOs’ ability to operate, the Greek Government should support their actions, protecting and promoting open and safe spaces for asylum-seekers and refugees in Greece
TAKE ACTION:
Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 152.20. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
