The national and international response to the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reached an unprecedented level. It has become evident that the pandemic will have a long-lasting and substantial influence on our society, globally and locally, far beyond health. This outbreak of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will also shed light on pre-existing challenges, such as the refugee crisis, which are converging with the pandemic [1]. It is now crucial that the unique needs of the refugee and migrant population are included in the global response to COVID-19 [2]. In 2019, approximately 123,700 refugees and migrants arrived via the three Mediterranean routes to Greece, Italy and Spain from North Africa and Turkey [3]. Whilst we read the staggering number of daily cases and deaths in Italy and Spain from COVID-19 [4], arrivals of refugees and migrants to the Mediterranean countries have continued, reaching over 15,000 in the first two months of 2020 [3]. In addition, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports considerably higher number of migrant entries to the Western Balkan countries in recent months in contrast to decreasing numbers since 2015 [5].

COVID-19–as a novel communicable disease–crosses all borders and spreads fast. However, in migrant and asylum shelters the proposed measures to flatten the curve of transmission by physical distancing and improving hand hygiene are not feasible (fig. 1 and 2). Self-isolation in refugee camps is impossible: you cannot stay at home if you have no home (fig. 3). As of April 5 2020, the first two refugee camps on mainland Greece have reported COVID-19 cases and started quarantine for 2 weeks [6]. So far no cases have been confirmed in the highly overcrowded refugee camps on the Greek islands, but according to the Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi, any emergency response to a COVID-19 outbreak in this setting will be even more difficult.