Greece has stopped construction of several proposed new detention centres amid opposition from resident communities
Greece’s centre-right government has announced that it will halt plans to build five new detention centres on Mytilene, Samos, Chios, Leros, and Kos to replace the tent cities that currently cater to migrants after residents staged protests. The new facilities are designed to accommodate 20,000 people for a maximum period of three months.
The government in Athens had begun to compulsorily requisition land for the purpose of constructing the new enclosed facilities to help cope with overcrowding and the poor conditions that currently exist in the camps on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos, where more than 42,000 people occupy space designed to accommodate 5,400, but stopped after protests, roadblocks and threats of legal action started on the islands.
The camps in Greece continue to receive an influx of refugees and migrants from Turkey and North Africa, the highest numbers since March 2016, when the EU struck a landmark accord with Turkey to curb arrivals. The agreement means asylum seekers are duty-bound to remain on the islands until their requests are completed.
Government officials on the islands claim the high numbers of migrants make it difficult for residents to access healthcare and other social services and cause a strain on local infrastructure. The issue shows no sign of abating. In 2019, one in four asylum seekers entering Europe came though the Greek isles, making them the most popular route to the mainland.
