A makeshift camp next to the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Reuters
A makeshift camp next to the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Reuters
A makeshift camp next to the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Reuters
A makeshift camp next to the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Reuters

Oxfam says EU is failing vulnerable refugees in Lesbos


Claire Corkery
  • English
  • Arabic

A leading charity has accused the Greek government and the European Union of failing vulnerable refugees by leaving them trapped on islands for “indefinite periods”.

A report by Oxfam published on Wednesday said hundreds of pregnant women, unaccompanied children and survivors of torture are being abandoned in refugee camps like Moria, on the island of Lesbos.

Oxfam said conditions at Moria, which is at almost twice its capacity, were squalid with many people living in unheated tents, without sufficient access to washing facilities and toilets. Heavy rain has turned the camp into a muddy bog and temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in the coming days.

The Britain-based NGO said that for much of 2018, there was just one government-appointed doctor in Lesbos, responsible for screening as many as 2,000 people arriving each month.

The report said that mothers were sent away from hospitals to live in a tent as early as four days after giving birth via caesarean section. It said survivors of sexual violence were being lumped together with other refugees at Moria, where two thirds of residents say they never feel safe.

Oxfam said they had identified a “worrying trend” of locking up teenagers and survivors of torture without recognising that they were vulnerable. The charity said it had come across many detainees who should not have been held because of their age or physical or mental health status.

Renata Rendón, Oxfam’s Head of Mission in Greece, said humanitarian groups were trying to improve conditions but this was made “almost impossible by policies supported by the Greek government and EU”.

“It is irresponsible and reckless to fail to recognise the most vulnerable people and respond to their needs. Our partners have met mothers with newborn babies sleeping in tents, and teenagers wrongly registered as adults being locked up,” Ms Rendón said.

“Surely identifying and providing for the needs of such people is the most basic duty of the Greek government and its European partners.”

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Read more:

'Hero of the Aegean' who saved thousands of refugees dies in Greece

'Work is life' for the refugee-entrepreneurs of Greece's Ritsona camp

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An agreement between the EU and Turkey in 2016 designed to reduce the number of people arriving on the continent has left thousands stranded on Greek islands such as Lesbos in the Aegean Sea.

The deal means those who have arrived on the islands who have their asylum requests rejected must return to Turkey.

But slow asylum procedures- partly caused by the high the number of applications- has left 15,000 waiting to be processed. Migrants are unable to leave the islands for the mainland leading to overcrowding in the refugee camps known as “hotspots” on the islands.

Oxfam has called on Greece and the other EU member states to deploy more expert staff to the Greek islands and transfer more asylum seekers to the mainland on a regular basis.

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RESULT

Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')

RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m

Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m

Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard

8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5

Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Results

2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.

Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.

54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Which products are to be taxed?

To be taxed:

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category

Not taxed

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules

Pieces of Her

Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick   

Director: Minkie Spiro

Rating:2/5

The%20specs
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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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