Report of the PRO ASYL project “Refugee Support Program in the Aegean” (RSPA):
https://www.proasyl.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2016-05-24-Vulnerable-lives-on-Hold-final.pdf
On March 8, 2016, following a gradual restriction since February 2016 of
access to the Balkan route based on ethnic origin criteria, the border
between Greece and FYROM (Macedonia) was closed for all
third-country nationals. In the aftermath of this closure, over
54,000 refugees – about 60% of who are women and children – have
suddenly become trapped in Greece. There are hundreds of disabled and
elderly people, cancer patients and persons suffering from other severe
chronic or incurable diseases, as well as psychologically traumatized
persons, pregnant women, families with new-borns and unaccompanied
minors. A very high percentage of them is estimated to be admissible for
family reunification or relocation. All these people are barely
surviving the inhumane and devastating conditions in the reception
centres, while at the same time the dirty deal agreed by Turkey and
Europe turned the hot spots on the islands of the Aegean into
detention- and deportation centres, keeping out those who were planning
to follow.