Migrant island facilities will categorically not have to take in migrants from other islands or the mainland, Migration & Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris said on Monday druing a visit to Lesvos. The visit is part of his tour of North Aegean islands and follows one to Samos.
“There is no chance our islands will accept [more migrants] from any other location of Greece. No transfer will take place, either from other islands or from the mainland, with the exception obviously of our facilities for unaccompanied minors as is true for all of Greece, and even in these cases, it will be limited,” Plevris said. Referring to Crete, he clarified, “Whatever is to happen with the Crete channel will be resolved at Cretan and mainland level.”
At the same time, Plevris underlined the role of local societies: “Respect will be put into practice and nothing will take place without them. I believe we can come to an agreement so that from now on we really speak about the relief of islands that bore a great migration burden.”
During his stay on the island of Lesvos, the minister paid a visit to the Mavrovouni/Kara Tepe facility, speaking with staff and administration. The facility houses 861 individuals, a historic high of the last few years. As he told local media, the new draft bill being voted on Wednesday will make migration policy tougher. “Whoever has a right to asylum will get it quickly and whoever does not will be facing a 5-year jail sentence, therefore their only choice would be to return” to their country, he said.
The migration minister also paid a visit to the closed faciility of Vastria, where he was briefed on progress in its construction, and later went to Mantamados to talk with the Mayor of West Lesvos Taxiarchis Verros and presidents of local communities. In Agiassos, he met with the president and town council on the building known as Anagnostirio, to be briefed on restoration work on the historic building that is being funded by the ministry.
He also met wtih North Aegean Region Governor Kostas Moutzouris, Mytilini Mayor Panagiotis Christofas, and presidents of local communities. Plevris’ visit concluded with his meeting with local officials of New Democracy in Mytilini.
