Suspected arson destroys most of Moria ‘hotspot’ on eastern Aegean isle of Lesvos

A large portion of the infamous Moria “hotspot” on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos was burned to the ground in the early morning hours of Wednesday, with thousands of would-be asylum seekers and irregular migrants hosted there left without shelter.

The island has borne the brunt of the migration crisis Greece since 2015, when human smuggling rings operating from the adjacent Turkish coast ferried hundreds of thousands of third country nationals into the EU member-state.

After the blaze, the entire island was declared in state of emergency for four days for reasons of public health.

The fire broke out at the camp after 2 in the morning, after unrest and rioting erupted when 35 people who tested positive for Covid-19 refused to move into isolation with their families.

According to the first reports by media outlets on the island, which quoted local residents, third country nationals were spotted setting numerous fires around the camp’s perimeter, with strong winds later spreading the flames into the temporary settlement and the adjoining rural areas.

Moreover, other media reports at the site claimed that young men from the camp threw rocks at fire engines and fire-fighters who rushed to the scene.

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