Arrivals, reception, and solidarity on the two Greek islands

Since 2020, Operazione Colomba-APG23 has been supporting people on the move in Greece through direct presence and monitoring of Human Rights.
This Report is the result of a monitoring trip carried out to verify reception conditions on the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos. For about a year, these islands have become new landing destinations for people departing from eastern Libya to reach the European Union.

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In 2020, Operazione Colomba, together with Apg23-Greece, opened a project in Greece.

The first 6 months have been spent on the island of Lesvos, the first landing place for migrants transiting through Turkey.

After 6 months, the project relocated in the city of Athens, leaving the islands, but guaranteeing frequent assessment trips to the island of Lesvos,
to monitor the situation of the migrants’ population and the violations of human rights of the people on the move.

Starting from sharing daily life with people on the move, the volunteers act as a link between the needs of the most vulnerable people - who live inside and outside the refugee camps - and who can support them, in terms of food supply, health services and protection.

They carry out accompaniments to hospitals and institutions, monitor and denounce human rights violations through reports and publications,
show solidarity with the migrant population on the Greek territory.

The volunteers monitor all the refugee camps on the Greek mainland, networking with other associations and realities in the area.

Furthermore, the volunteers carry out exploratory trips along the most important points of the so-called “Balkan route”.