December 7, 2015 —  The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has given evidence today at the European Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee on the poor implementation of hotspots on the Greek island of Lesvos, and called for the European Commission to learn from their mistakes.

Hotspots are designed to fast-track refugee registration and relocation across the EU from points of arrival, but they have been marred with criticism since they were introduced.

On Lesvos specifically, inadequate, understaffed hotspot facilities and unclear processes have, on numerous occasions over the past four months, resulted in backlogs on the island, with refugee families often waiting for days in deplorable conditions. Rising tensions between refugees, police and the community have regularly been met with teargas.

Lani Fortier, Field Director for the IRC’s programme in Greece who has been working on Lesvos since June, told an audience of EU and Greek authorities at the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) in Brussels:

“I have 10 years of experience in post-conflict and crisis settings across Africa and Asia, and still the conditions for refugees on Lesvos this year are some of the worst I have ever seen.

“While we are supportive of safe, dignified and legal means by which refugees can make their way to a final destination, our concerns lie in the way in which these processes are operationalized and their failure to match the demands of the crisis.”

Lesvos – a gateway to Europe for many refugees crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey and beyond – has received almost half a million refugees this year. The IRC was one of the first aid groups to arrive on the island in June and focuses on three key areas of need: water and sanitation, protection of vulnerable groups and safe transportation. 

Fortier added: “As the EU plans to roll out more hotspots, our fear is that we are not learning from the experience in Lesvos, and not enough consideration is going into the operational implications and humanitarian impact. Emphasis continues to be placed on the actual registration, with little focus on the essential services needed to meet people’s basic needs – shelter, economic support, medical care.