EU to scale back Greek asylum aid

euobserver — Stranded refugees on the Greek islands will soon have to rely solely on the Greek government for all basic services.

Athens is set to take over services over the summer that were previously funded by the EU amid concerns that it won’t be able to deliver, as some 60 people a day continue to arrive from Turkey to the islands.

Conditions at some of the camps on the islands remain poor, with asylum seekers setting fire to tents in protest earlier this week at Moria in Lesbos.

Around 14,000 people are still stranded on the islands.

Their plight is likely to become even worse amid persistent fears that Turkey may renege on its shaky deal with the EU to prevent Syrians from leaving towards Greece.

 

In 2016, Greece recognised 2,700 people as refugees, compared to over 3,000 since the start of this year.