Migrants ‘contemplating suicide’ amid hunger, poor hygiene at Greek camp

In a Greek migrant camp praised by the conservative government as a model for Europe, asylum seekers have resorted to contemplating suicide due to unbearable living conditions. The Sintiki camp, located near the border with Bulgaria, has been the site of repeated protests and unrest. Some 400 Egyptian and Bangladeshi migrants are housed in cramped quarters, sharing four bathrooms.

They describe the food as insufficient and their living conditions as inhumane, with inadequate hygiene facilities. Almost none of their asylum applications are accepted, as the European Pact on Migration and Asylum mandates detention until a decision is made. If rejected, they remain imprisoned until being deported. The camp's deteriorating state, including destroyed sectors and flooded housing, has prompted calls for its temporary or permanent closure.

Local officials and some guards acknowledge the migrants' distress, with some even preferring imprisonment to returning to the camp. Despite the criticism, the camp is touted as a model for managing migration, with the minister claiming it has helped reduce illegal entries and deportations.