In the shadow of the pandemic: Who has a right to mobility— and who doesn’t? \ Im Schatten der Pandemie: Wer hat ein Recht auf Mobilität – und wer nicht?

On Lesvos in September, a long-smouldering conflict around the reception of those seeking protection went up in flames before the eyes of the world. Following the start of the pandemic in March, the Greek authorities, for fear of the coronavirus, had already largely stopped the asylum process on the Aegean islands and resettlement to the mainland. But even before that, conditions were catastrophic: In Moria camp, designed to hold just about 3,000 people, more than 12,700 asylum seekers were living under the most challenging conditions. Physical distancing was out of the question. When the first cases of infection appeared, the administration placed the entire camp under quarantine; everyone had to stay in this hopeless place. Shortly afterwards, the Moria “hotspot” went up in flames. The COVID-19 pandemic became the spark that ignited the powder keg.