May 19, 2016 — In reaction to recent events at informal refugee site in Idomeni, in Greece, the IRC's emergency response field coordinator Rowan Cody said:
"Ongoing upheaval at the informal refugee site at Idomeni speaks to the mounting frustrations of refugees there. The IRC urges the European Union to put the resources behind the systems that are already in place to ensure legal routes to other areas of the EU for refugees who arrived in Greece before the EU-Turkey deal went into effect. Neither the relocation program nor the asylum program are properly resourced and the information distributed about both continues to be inconsistent and unclear. In addition, alternative temporary accommodation sites across Greece must meet international humanitarian standards and be completed as soon as possible.
"It is important to remember who these people are: the majority are refugees fleeing conflict. They are seeking sanctuary and a safe life for both themselves and their families in Europe. Not nearly enough has been done to put the processes in place which would allow the approximately 45,000 refugees currently stranded in mainland Greece to either claim asylum in Greece or be relocated throughout Europe."
More information about the IRC's response to the Europe Refugee Crisis is available here.