The ‘Hotspot’ is run by RIS (Reception and Identification Service), the military and the police. It opened in March 2016 and replaced the informal ‘Poseidon Camp’ in town. Refugees are accommodated in 110 container housing units, enclosed by barbed wire fences, and are detained until they are registered. Once registered, they may leave the facility, but not the island. From March to July, Echo100Plus was the only NGO providing services inside the facility. Since July, the ‘Hotspot’ is closed to all NGOs.

A historic building in Lakki converted into an open reception centre by the Greek NGO Leros Solidarity Network. It is officially run by RIS and hosts the most vulnerable cases among the refugees. Echo100plus provided financial and volunteer support since its opening in December 2015.

Ritsona Refugee Camp was opened in March to accommodate 900 refugees, mostly from Syria, who had been evacuated from the Greek-Macedonian border and the Aegean islands. Located in a forest near Chalkida, it is run by the military and International Organisation for Migrations (IOM). As living conditions are bad, hundreds of residents have in the meantime moved on to shelters in Athens or have left the country with the help of smugglers. Echo100Plus started to provide its services at Ritsona camp at the end of March.

January - February

Leros

• Echo100Plus volunteer team continue to provide food, dry clothes and general support to the refugees arriving on the island (average refugees stay is 2 to 5 days)
• Echo100Plus continue to support ‘Poseidon Storage’ with logistics and funds to guarantee a supply of clothes, shoes and hygiene items

March

Leros

• Military and RIS-controlled ‘Hotspot’ opens in Lepida
• Echo100Plus volunteer team provides services inside the Hotspot
• European border police block the smuggling route from Turkey to Leros
• Leros is drained of its refugees. Only 70 unaccompanied minors remain

Ritsona

• Setting up the Echo100Plus volunteer program
• Echo100Plus co-manages the camp and provides logistical help to the Army
• Echo100Plus refurbishes a derelict Army building to run from it the main distribution platform for food, clothes and hygiene items

April - June

Leros

• 600 refugees are transferred to Lepida from overcrowded reception facilities on other islands
• Echo100Plus and its volunteer team is the only NGO with access to the ‘Hotspot’
• On-going funding and distributing of clothes and hygiene items
• Partnership with the Greek NGO Solidarity Symi to facilitate distribution of learning materials and shoes for Hotspot residents
• Partnership with Mercy Corps to distribute special food packages to ‘Hotspot’ residents during Ramadan
• 12 students trained by Echo100Plus volunteers sit the LCCI and BCDE English exams and pass them with honour and distinction

Ritsona

• Implementation of regular clothes and hygiene items distribution to residents
• Running sports activities and various language classes
• Refurbishment of space to be used as a Muslim prayer room
• A group of London based friends stage a highly successful Fashion Sale Fundraiser for Echo100Plus

July

Leros

• Organising the End of Ramadan celebration at the ‘Hotspot’ and supplying Ramadan-appropriate food
• Violent incidents disrupt the ‘Hotspot’. RIS and Army forbid access to all NGOs
• Threats by local right wing extremists to refugees and NGOs
• Echo100Plus temporarily evacuates its volunteers to ensure their safety

Ritsona

• Echo 100Plus purchases 150 fans and 150 cool boxes to push back against the scorching heat
• Supporting the US charity Joined Hands to organise and fund the End of Ramadan celebrations

August

Leros

• Echo100Plus volunteer team returns to the island
• Volunteer team continues operating and working shifts at PIPKA
• Setting up of a makeshift outdoor cinema at PIKPA with the help of residents
• Creating a vegetable garden with the help of - and for PIPKA residents

Ritsona

• a refugee strike evicts all NGOs from the camp except for Echo100Plus. Our volunteers remain to distribute food and other necessities.

September

Leros

• Cooperation with Leros Solidarity Network_UK, to supply and manage a bi-weekly hygiene kit distribution for PIKPA residents

Ritsona

• Implementation and improvement of a clothes and shoes distribution program
• New arrivals at camp are provided with blankets and hygiene kits
• Supplying of 800 plastic flooring pallets to improve living conditions in the tents
• Support of the US charity Joined Hands to prepare EID Al-Adha celebration
• Supplying each family with a telephone card

Samos

• Supplying of 100 backpacks donated by children from London’s Lycée Francais, Latymer School and L’école Bilingue to Solidarity for Refugees

October

Leros

• Echo100PLUS initiates a Humanitarian Hub project. An appropriate building is located.
• Echo100Plus team organises a one-time distribution of winter clothes to Lepida ‘hotspot’ residents

Ritsona

• Echo100plus supplies and distributes heavy winter jackets, trousers, boots, tarps and other necessities to prepare for the winter months
• Distribution of 800 backpacks donated by the Swiss Alpine Club
• Hosting an Art therapy workshop by the Flourish Foundation

November

Leros

• Refurbishment of the building for our Humanitarian Hub in Lakki is almost completed
• The official opening of the Echo-Hub is scheduled for the first week of December

Ritsona

• Most of the residents have moved from tents into the new container houses
• Official opening ceremony with the Greek Minister of Migration and representatives of The United Emirates, sponsors of the Isoboxes to Ritsona, on November 23rd.
• 150 new residents are expected to be allocated to Ritsona Camp around Christmas time

• The reception conditions on most of the islands are deplorable. This demands the urgent deployment of additional staff, especially in the areas of health, psychosocial support and protection of unaccompanied children. The increase in arrivals and inadequate reception conditions on the islands have created tensions and anger amongst some local residents. Medical services in the hotspots on the islands remain limited as the deployment of national service medical staff under the Ministry of Health has not been completed yet. This affects access to primary healthcare and psychosocial support for asylum seekers and migrants and creates severe delays in the vulnerability assessment.
• Conditions in the mainland are generally improving as the Government is closing temporary sites and people are moving into housing. However, arrivals peaked in September and October, when 6,000 people arrived by sea and land. Border reception centres are critically overcrowded, conditions and protection deteriorate. Children and vulnerable people are at particular risk

Echo100Plus working at Ritsona to improve camp life

• Continued work and collaboration with IOM, ‘Lighthouse Relief‘, ‘I Am You‘ and other actors in camp to constantly improve the daily life of residents
• Distribution of drinking water provided by IOM
• Distribution of milk, tea & coffee and hygiene items funded by Echo100Plus
• Securing financial support and in-kind donations for restocking supplies
• Setting up the ‘Ritsona Boutique’ as a new and more dignified way of distributing clothes and shoes.
• Creation of the Ritsona Football Club in collaboration with ISMP (International Sports and Music Projects), construction of a football field, sponsoring of 3 adult teams, 1 minor’s teams and 5 children’s teams. Organized 2 championship tournaments, one hosted in a local football club, in close collaboration working with the local Greek community
• Created and staged the ‘Ritsona’s Got Talent’ show
• Offered guitar lessons in collaboration with ISMP for all ages in camp
• Organised beach trips during the summer months

The Echo-Hub offers a full range of services as well as access to professional staff, a technology lab, a small library and other educational resources in an attempt to prepare and support adult refugees facing arduous challenges of migration and integration.

• Language courses (English, Greek, German, Italian, French etc.)
• Computer and Professional Development courses
• Music lessons (guitar, percussion, singing, etc.)
• Team Sports & Fitness Classes (yoga, football, basketball etc.)
• Arts & Crafts Activities (pottery, drawing, drama, cinema, film, chess, etc.)
• And a variety of other projects and events.

*Most courses on offer are co-educational, but in order to encourage more women to join the Hub activities, we provide ‘women’s only classes‘ and dedicate one afternoon per week to ‘women only activities‘.

Estimated Presence: 711
(Update of UNHCR Field Unit Leros for Sunday 31 December 2017)

• Reception & Identification Centre (RIC): 580
• PIKPA Settlement/Villa Artemis: 66
• UNHCR Accommodation Scheme/ARSIS: 63
• Police Premises: 2 (Deportations to pre-removal detention facility on Kos with the aim of accelerating the implementation of the EU-Turkey statement)

• Stipends for teachers:
  The Echo-Hub is a hybrid model. Overall management of all activities are conducted by our volunteers, who also teach various language classes. For English lessons (5 different levels, from pre-beginners to proficiency level), for Greek and for IT classes we hire local teachers to provide a solid curriculum. This guarantees consistency and professional teaching, and supports the local population.
• Support for Students:
  Our new consultancy program guides our students through the application process of Education Scholarships in Greece funded by American colleges. We oversee the development of their candidacy. We are very pleased for our students who have been granted scholarships this year and are now fundraising to finance their lodgings and upkeep during their studies.
• Volunteer program:
  We need funds to support our volunteers by providing accommodation and travel for those who are keen to serve, but cannot afford to do so. Echo100Plus prides itself on including anyone who is willing and able to help build an effective team.
• The Hub Boutique:
  In order to keep our “Boutique well stocked to sustain regular clothes distribution to new arrivals and local people in need, we need clothes donations or funds to buy new.

180Degrees Consulting Bocconi, Aegean Solidarity Network Team UK, All Saints Church Stanton St Bernard, Asociación Amigos de Ritsona, Blue Star Ferries & Agoni Grammi, Carry me Home, CHK Charities LTD, Columbia Alumni Association Greece, Crystal Falls Productions, Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann, Desmos.org, Earthblink, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ELBISCO AE, Elpida Home, Ersel Societa’ Di Intermediazione, EUROPALSO, Fernland Holding LTD, Global Giving Foundation, Goodscare GmbH, Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG, Hope Worldwide Utah, International Sports and Music Projects, Joined Hands, Kahane Foundation, LDS Charities, Linguaglobe, London for Refugees, Maisha Marefu Onlus Foundation, C.V Maragos International Forwarding, Mercy Corps, Mishcon de Reya Law Firm, Morley College and Relay for Refugees, Move for Humanity, N.I. Minoglou A.E. (MyShoe), Neighbors in Need, Pampiraiki Support Initiative for Refugees and Migrants, PAPOUTSANIS SA, RED CHAIRity, Ribbink van den Hoek Familie Stichting, Sadie Coles HQ Gallery, Samaritan Purse, Save The Children - Leros, SCARF, Silverstone Auctions, Seven Gates Cafe – Leros, Solidarity Now, Solidarity Symi, Starfish Foundation, Tassos Rent a Car – Patmos, Trend Trust SA, UNHCR – Leros Field Office, Ventana Club, Vitol Services Ltd, Wolff Olins, YALI-Murano Glass Design.

• Between 01 January and 30 September 2017, 138,300 refugees and migrants arrived by sea and land to Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus only, including arrivals to the Canary Islands and by land to Spain)
• In Greece, the number of refugees and migrants arriving by sea reached its highest levels since March 2016 with 4,900 people arriving in September, a 60% increase compared to September last year and a 36% increase compared to August.
• As of 30 September 2017, over 20,000 refugees and migrants had reached Greek shores in 2017, compared to 166,800 arriving in the same period last year (an 88% reduction).
• Arrivals mainly originate from the Syrian Arab Republic (40%) and Iraq (20%).
• Most arrivals in September have been to Lesvos (49%), followed by Samos (20%), Chios (12%), and the South Dodecanese islands (13%).
• In addition to the sea arrivals, an estimated 3,300 people have arrived this year at the Evros Greek-Turkish land border, based on provisional data as of 30 September 2017 with over 1,000 crossing via this route in September.
• Relocation: According to the European Commission (EC), 29,698 asylum-seekers have been relocated from Greece and Italy as of 04 October 2017, including 20,410 from Greece (out of 66,400 originally foreseen, 30 per cent of the total) and 9,288 from Italy (out of 39,600 originally foreseen, 23 per cent of the total) respectively.
• Resettlement: To date in 2017, 16,535 persons have been resettled to Europe. On 11 September, UNHCR issued a global call for an additional 40,000 resettlement places to be made available for refugees located in 15 priority countries 10 along the Central Mediterranean route.
• Returns: In September, 29 people were returned from Greece to Turkey on the basis of the EU-Turkey Statement. The total number of people returned in accordance with the EU-Turkey Statement is 1,336 as of 30 September 2017.