Samos refugees take part in emergency response drill

A group of 20 refugees took part in a simulation and emergency response exercise on the eastern Aegean island of Samos last week. The scenario involved earthquakes and wildfires.

The program, which is designed to promote migrants’ participation in Greece’s disaster risk management, was implemented in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – Greece 2.0, with funding from the European Union. The action was executed with help from the Greek Migration Ministry and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“This exercise is an additional step in the creation of an inclusive integration mechanism, in the context of which immigrants and refugees become part of Greek society, embracing its values and principles,” said IOM Greece Mission Chief Gianluca Rocco.

In 2020, a 7.0-magnitude quake struck Samos, killing two high school students.