Pournara centre
24.2.2021
Priority question for written answer P-001089/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Giorgos Georgiou (The Left)
Hundreds of refugees at the Pournara centre in Cyprus, which was initially designed to host them for a maximum of 72 hours, have now been living there for months under inhuman conditions. While the infrastructures and facilities at the centre are intended for 900 inmates, over 1 500 people are now trapped there because of the pandemic. This has led to constant complaints of inadequate food, hot water and sanitary facilities, including an insufficient number of lavatories.
Matters have been further exacerbated by the decision of the asylum authorities to change the conditions for allowing asylum seekers to live outside the confines of the centre. Twenty people per day were initially allowed to move out. However, this is now subject to presentation of a signed lease contract, a requirement that most applicants are materially unable to satisfy while confined to the centre.
In view of this:
- 1.What action will the Commission take to end such inadmissible infringements of the human rights of refugees?
- 2.Does it know how Cyprus has used the appropriations from the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, in particular the additional EUR 9.3 million allocated in December to meet the needs of the inmates of the Pournara camp and improve their living conditions?