During August, over 150 volunteers of the Rome-based Catholic Community of Sant'Egidio will take turns to spend their holiday with refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos to offer them assistance.
Over 150 volunteers of the Community of Sant'Egidio, coming from different European countries, will take turns to spend the summer with refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos ''so as not to forget and pave the way for a better future'', the Catholic charity said in a statement.
The initiative promoted by Sant'Egidio started on August 1 and runs until August 31.
A reported 15,900 migrants and refugees are currently residing on the island, including many unaccompanied minors who have applied for asylum or who are waiting to be reallocated.
"Their number has doubled from last year" and living conditions on the island are "precarious, aggravated by the lockdown'' dictated by the coronavirus pandemic," Sant'Egidio said.
The activities included in the initiative
Due to the rising demand for food, volunteers will open two field "restaurants". They will also offer English language courses for refugees and entertain children and teens.
"Their presence, during the month of August, will have the objective of keeping alive the hope of people who have fled war or unsustainable living conditions in their country of origin and who are now in a sort of 'limbo', here in Europe, while waiting for a different future," concluded Sant'Egidio.
Greece extends migrant camp lockdown
Greece on July 31 announced another extension of a controversial coronavirus lockdown on its overcrowded migrant camps as infections in the country have increased. The lockdown on camps introduced in March will be extended until August 31 "to prevent the emergence and dispersal of coronavirus cases," the migration ministry said in a statement.
Greece has so far not been as badly affected as many other European countries and no deaths have been reported in migrant camps. But the presence of over 26,000 asylum seekers on the five Aegean islands -- in camps with capacity of under 6,100 -- has caused major friction with local communities.