Greece: Lead contamination feared at refugee camp

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - Greece has failed to release test results about lead contamination in a new migrant camp accommodating thousands of children and adults on the island of Lesbos, the Human Rights Watch said in a report Wednesday.

The Greek government has confirmed publicly on Jan. 23 that the Mavrovouni or Kara Tepe camp on the Lesbos Island has been contaminated with highly toxic lead after collecting samples from the soil, the rights group said.

The Kara Tepe camp has been built over a repurposed military firing range and it currently accommodates 6,500 migrants.

The camp was made as a temporary area after a fire broke out in the Moria camp accommodating thousands of homeless migrants.

In a press release Greek authorities said that from the twelve samples collected eleven where within the residential area of the camp.

“All the eleven samples collected within the residential zone had lead levels below the acceptable limits as specified in the New Dutchlist. The 12th sample, which was taken outside the residential zone, had lead levels that exceeded the acceptable limit,” they added.

But authorities have failed to release the results of the tests and the locations where samples were taken, the rights group said.

“The Greek government knowingly built a migrant camp on a firing range and then turned a blind eye to the potential health risks for residents and workers there,” Belkis Wille, a senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch said in the report.

Wille also stressed that the government is not allowing independent experts to analyze the samples or take the necessary precautions to protect migrants or workers.

The watchdog said a request has been sent to Greek authorities as well as the European Commission -- which is aware of the results -- to release all relevant data which should also include the levels of lead in the samples taken.

“To date, neither the Greek government nor the European Commission has made this information available,” the human rights watchdog noted.