News Item

FRA visits facility hosting asylum seekers in Greece

On 26 and 27 February, FRA visited the Closed Controlled Access Centre of Mavrovouni in Lesvos. The visit to this initial reception facility relates to FRA’s commitments under the December 2020 Greece-EU Memorandum of Understanding on a Multi-Purpose Reception and Identification Centre in Lesvos.

FRA met with asylum seekers and refugees, with different actors inside and outside the camp, and attended a job fair.

In Athens, FRA debriefed the Ministry of Asylum and Migration on reception issues highlighting some of the points in its 2021 note on initial reception facilities at the external borders.

FRA also discussed how to enhance prevention and response to gender-based violence in initial reception facilities on the Greek islands. It suggested a review of the necessity of some security arrangements in the camps.

FRA also suggested to ways to facilitate the transition from being an asylum applicant to international protection beneficiary.