Protection in a Hostile Environment
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Key Concepts in Advancingthe Alternative Migration Governance Protection in a Hostile Environment: An on-the-ground study into protection practices in Lesvos and Athens Deliverable 4.1 Polly Pallister-Wilkins, Anastasia Anastasiadou, Alexandra Zavos and Evthymios Papataxiarchis 2021 This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 822625. The content reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Protection in a Hostile Environment Advancing Alternative Migration Governance Publication information You are free to share and cite the material if you include proper reference. Suggested citation: Polly Pallister-Wilkins et.al (2021) Protection in a Hostile Environment: An on-the-ground study into protection practices in Lesvos and Athens, ADMIGOV DELIVERABLE 4.1, Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam. Available at http://admigov.eu You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Acknowledgments This paper has been written by Polly Pallister-Wilkins, Anastasia Anastasiadou, Alexandra Zavos and Evthymios Papataxiarchis and peer reviewed internally among the four authors. The authors would like to thank the following people and organizations for their involvement in the research process: Stella Nanou, UNHCR Communications Officer in Greece, Kate Washington, UNHCR Senior Inter-Agency Coordinator in Athens, Toulina Demeli, UNHCR Protection Officer in Lesvos, Elektra Petrakou, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Aegean and Principal Investigator in Respond Horizon project, Nadina Leivaditi, Researcher in Respond Horizon project, Effie Plexousaki, Assistant Professor of Social Anthropology University of Aegean and Co-director of the Observatory of Refugee and Migration Studies in the Aegean, Maria Doukakarou, Coordinator of the Observatory of Refugee and Migration Crisis in the Aegean, Apostolos Viezis, for long running support, Natalia-Rafaella Kafkoutsou for her review and helpful comments on the legal issues, and Nikolaos Babakos Director of the Temporary Mytilene RIC for his interview. The views presented are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: [email protected] ADMIGOV 2021 Deliverable number D4.1 p. 2 Protection in a Hostile Environment Advancing Alternative Migration Table of Contents Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Figures and Tables ........................................................................................................................... 7 List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2: Understanding protection ........................................................................................... 10 Chapter 3: Methodological approach and research limitations: working under Covid-19 ........... 13 Protection in practice ............................................................................................................ 13 Researching protection in practice ....................................................................................... 13 The research impacts of Covid-19 ......................................................................................... 16 Chapter 4: Research design ........................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 5: Historical background: A multiplicity of challenges at the frontstage and backstage . 19 Medium-term developments in the context of protection: a brief overview ....................... 19 Mytilene and Athens in the medium term ............................................................................ 21 Mytilene and Athens in the 2019–2020 pandemic conjuncture: failed restructurings ........ 23 The border contestation in Lesvos ........................................................................................ 25 The pandemic ....................................................................................................................... 26 Athens in the 2020 pandemic conjuncture ........................................................................... 27 In summary ........................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 6: Legal protection .......................................................................................................... 29 The Greek asylum system and legislation prior to the 2019 International Protection Act ... 29 The new International Protection Act 4636/2019 ................................................................ 32 Legal protection in Lesvos ..................................................................................................... 34 Pushbacks preventing access to legal protection .................................................................. 36 Access to asylum in the Athenian backstage ......................................................................... 40 Detention in the Athenian backstage .................................................................................... 47 Legal protection: in summary ............................................................................................... 48 Chapter 7: Healthcare ................................................................................................................... 50 Healthcare in non-pandemic times ....................................................................................... 50 The impacts of the IPA on healthcare ................................................................................... 53 Healthcare in Lesvos in non-pandemic times ....................................................................... 54 Access to and provision of healthcare in the Athenian backstage ........................................ 55 ADMIGOV 2021 p. 3 Protection in a Hostile Environment Advancing Alternative Migration The general impact of Covid-19 on healthcare ..................................................................... 57 The impacts of Covid-19 on healthcare in Lesvos ................................................................. 59 Healthcare during Covid-19 in the Athenian backstage ........................................................ 61 Healthcare : in summary ....................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 8: Accommodation .......................................................................................................... 65 Accommodation in non-pandemic times .............................................................................. 65 Accommodation in Lesvos .................................................................................................... 72 Accommodation in Lesvos pre-pandemic ............................................................................. 73 Accommodation in Lesvos during the pandemic .................................................................. 76 Accommodation in the Athenian backstage ......................................................................... 79 Accommodation: in summary ............................................................................................... 85 Chapter 9: Post-Moria Developments ........................................................................................... 86 The days before the fire ........................................................................................................ 86 The fire .................................................................................................................................. 87 The new Temporary Mytilene RIC ......................................................................................... 89 The elimination of the Lesvos backstage .............................................................................. 93 Post-Moria Developments: in summary ............................................................................... 95 Chapter 10: Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 97 The island-mainland protection nexus .................................................................................. 97 The elimination of the backstage, the criminalization of assistance and the implementation of incarceration ..................................................................................................................... 98 The creation of a hostile environment .................................................................................. 99 References .................................................................................................................................. 101 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................