The Mission Lifeline refugee rescue organization raised enough money to transport dozens of migrants from Greece to Germany.
According to a spokesperson for the dpa news agency, the association raised about 55,000 euros in a few days. This would finance two Boeing 747-300 flights and deliver about 150 people from Greek camps.
Now Mission Lifeline plans to build civilian air links between Lesvos and Berlin. The association has already successfully negotiated with a Greek aviation service provider. All that was missing was a landing permit from the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Without this, the organization will be accused of complicity in the illegal entry of foreigners into the country.
The Mission Lifeline is also trying to convince other EU countries to immediately accept migrants from Greece. “The outbreak of COVID-19 in the camps will lead to countless deaths,” the organization explains.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior stated that it does not advise “to justify the high expectations of asylum seekers in an already tense situation on the Greek islands.”
The examination of an asylum application is a purely governmental task.