Syrian refugees living in 'unsanitary, volatile conditions,' says aide

A New Brunswick woman volunteering in Greece says conditions are unsanitary and volatile for Syrian refugees landing on the shores of Chios.

"There are over 1,700 people living in complete squalor in a camp where 850 people can live comfortably,"said ZoCaddell, ofRothesay.

Shehas been volunteering with the Eastern Shore Rescue Team since February,assisting the hundreds of refugees arriving at nightaboard dinghies, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey.

"I think about my time in Chios in Februaryand first half of March and it all seems quite innocent compared to now," Caddelltold CBC's Information Morning Moncton on Tuesday.

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"Back then, we focused on beach rescue, clothing people, provided them with water and information concerning their rights," she said.

But on March 20, Caddell says,the five camps shetended to were closed and anyone arriving on the shores wasdetained andsent to a registration centre, calledVial.

'They had no idea they were coming toChiosto be put in prison.'-ZoCaddell

Caddellsays sheand her team assumed that once the camps were closed, theboats would stop arriving.

"Police kept telling our team the population stayed at 1,500, but we record head counts on the shore," she said.

"They kept coming. There are nights with 100, a few hundred people arriving on the beaches," she said. "They were not aware of the detention centre, they had no idea they were coming to Chios to be put in prison."

'Serious breach of human rights'

On March 18,theEuropean Union (EU)struck a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees entering Europe. The deal went into effect on March 20, and refugees began to bedeportedon April4.

A statement on the EU's website says the aimis"to replace disorganised, chaotic, irregular and dangerous migratory flows by organized, safe and legal pathways to Europe for those entitled to international protection in line with EU and international law."

Caddellbelieves the newdeal is a violation of human rights.

"People in Canada need to know that this EU deal is going to mean serious breach of human rights. People are saying they can't deport people whose asylum claims have yet to be assessed. But the deportations happened yesterday there were 66 people put on a boat from Chios."

Caddell says there was never significant violenceon the island until people arriving were detainedand tension between nationalities heightened"as it would with anyone if you have to fight for food and space in unsanitary and volatile conditions."

Now, she says,there are frequent fights, includinga stabbing last week, and people are stillnot getting enough food.

"Food was fed to hundreds through a hole in the fence which sounds degrading but so necessary."

"There are old men, pregnant women and tons of children and they're not being fed enough. It's outrageous."

But the deal between Turkey and the EU will continue to divert refugees to other countries, and in the meantime, Caddell says they will continue to show up on the shores of Chios.

"History has demonstrated that once one migrant route closes, another route opens. We can expectto see people travelling through the mountains in Bulgaria or taking boats to north Africa to Italy," she said.

"The flow of migrants won't stop so long as there is war in those countries."