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Terror at the Moria refugee camp

September 29, 2018

A group of IS followers are said to be terrorizing people in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. On the pretext of religious propriety, they brutally punish whoever they deem criminal. Two DW reporters investigate the rumors.

https://p.dw.com/p/35gua

Moria Camp on Lesbos is considered Europe's worst refugee camp. More than 8,000 people live here, crowded together in an extremely confined space. The only thing that seems to work is crime: drugs, prostitution and violence. Recently more and more refugees from Deir ez-Zor, one of the last strongholds of Islamic State in Syria, have been arriving in the camp. Since then it seems that crime in the camp has taken on a new quality. A group of Syrians is said to be controlling most of the illegal activities. Anyone who doesn't toe the line or is in the way can expect physical violence or even death threats. The perpetrators often cite Sharia law as their justification. More and more graffiti glorify IS. The Greek authorities take no action. Has IS successfully infiltrated Moria refugee camp? If so, what does that say about the way this terrorist network functions? And is organized crime increasingly positioning itself under the aegis of Islamic State? Bachir Amroune and Mariel Müller investigate.