Skip to main content
MSF emergency clinic after Moria fire
War in Gaza:: find out how we're responding
Learn more
Asylum seekers and refugees continue to arrive in Greece in search of safety, only to find themselves stranded indefinitely in the country.

Since the EU-Turkey deal in March 2016, migrants and refugees previously in transit through the Greek islands have been trapped for an indeterminate time in Reception and Identification Centres and Closed Controlled Access Centres. 

Our teams provides medical and mental healthcare to migrants in Athens and on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos. Our activities include sexual and reproductive healthcare, treating chronic diseases and providing care for survivors of sexual violence, psychological support and health promotion activities. On the islands of Lesvos and Samos we also provide emergency medical assistance to people in distress once they arrive by boat from Türkiye.

Our teams on Lesvos and Samos have reported overwhelming numbers of people suffering from serious mental health conditions while being contained on the islands. We have made repeated calls on the European Union and the Greek authorities to completely change their approach to migration, which is causing avoidable harm to the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
 

Our activities in 2022 in Greece

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2022.

MSF in Greece in 2022 Restrictive EU and Greek migration policies continued to have a negative impact on the health and dignity of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants arriving in Greece in 2022.
Greece IAR map 2022

Throughout the year, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff witnessed the severe toll that precarious living conditions, arbitrary asylum procedures and fear of deportation was taking on people’s physical and mental health.  

Our teams continue to work on Lesbos and Samos islands, and in Athens, providing general healthcare, treatment for chronic diseases, psychological and psychiatric support, and sexual and reproductive health services, with a focus on survivors of sexual violence. Social and legal assistance is also available in our projects.  

On Samos, we run a day centre in Vathi, supporting the medical needs of refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants. We also provided general healthcare through mobile clinics within the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC).  

On Lesbos, MSF works in a clinic opposite the Mavrovouni CACC. During 2022, we offered emergency medical and psychological first aid to new arrivals on the island and organised ambulance referrals to the hospital for those needing further care. This intervention enabled us not only to ensure people’s safe landing, but also to bear witness to their reception by the authorities. 

In Athens, our day centre offers a range of healthcare and social and legal services for migrants excluded from the national health system. Social workers and cultural mediators help patients navigate the healthcare system and ensure their basic needs are met, while legal experts give advice on their human rights.

In addition, mobile clinics provide basic healthcare, sexual and reproductive health services and health promotion to people living in precarious conditions in the city, and in seven refugee camps in Attica region. For the first half of 2022, we ran our Access to Vaccination Against COVID-19 project, aiming to facilitate access to vaccinations for excluded migrants and refugees residing in these locations. 

 

in 2022
 
Emergency Medical Aid (EMA) for new arrivals in Samos, Greece
Greece

Fear, beatings and forced returns for people seeking safety on Greek island of Samos

Project Update 9 Aug 2022
 
AS-DRC-girls-web
Safe abortion care

A revolution in safe abortion care

Opinion 28 Sep 2021
 
Samos new centre
Greece

“We can only help our patients to survive” new camp on Samos

Opinion 17 Sep 2021
 
Mariam*, a woman originally from Afghanistan, who lives in Lesbos for two years.
Greece

One year on from Moria fire, EU denies dignity to migrants trapped on Greek islands

Project Update 10 Sep 2021
 
EU failed containment model Report
Greece

Greece and EU must change approach to migration as scale of people’s suffering revealed

Press Release 9 Jun 2021
 
Samos island
Mediterranean migration

Constructing Crisis at Europe’s Border

Report 9 Jun 2021
 
MSF response to Moria Fire
Greece

Open letter to Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner of Home Affairs

Open Letter 29 Mar 2021
 
Harin Halil
Greece

Alarming mental health distress among asylum seekers on Greek islands

Project Update 17 Dec 2020
 
Tetimony - Omaima, 52. Vathy Camp, Samos
Greece

Negligent and dangerous COVID-19 response in Vathy camp, Samos

Project Update 26 Oct 2020