On the 24th of May, the Greek police started to evacuate the camp of Idomeni, a transit camp where thousands of refugees have been stranded for over two months without adequate humanitarian assistance and with no access to asylum procedures. In the first hours of the morning, several hundred riot police started to slowly fill buses with the first groups of people to leave. According to Greek authorities at least 37 buses carrying more than 1780 people were evacuated in the first 12 hours. The situation is currently calm and whilst volunteers have been prevented from accessing the camp, MSF still has restricted access and continues to carry out our medical activities with a reduced team of 8 people (medical and deputy fieldco).
MSF is not opposed to the movement of people from Idomeni to other locations, if they will be provided with better conditions, and if this is done on a voluntary basis by providing the refugees with sufficient information about the destination so they can take an informed decision. MSF asks the authorities to ensure that volunteers and NGOs are allowed to continue to access the people living at Idomeni camp for as long as they are there.
MSF is not opposed to the movement of people from Idomeni to other locations, if they will be provided with better conditions, and if this is done on a voluntary basis by providing the refugees with sufficient information about the destination so they can take an informed decision. MSF asks the authorities to ensure that volunteers and NGOs are allowed to continue to access the people living at Idomeni camp for as long as they are there.
