Lesvos

The castle of the main town of Lesvos stands as an impressive testament to the north Aegean islands’ rich, dramatic…

Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos on Friday welcomed the decision to grant islanders the inaugural John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service for their response to the refugee crisis, describing it as an "international recognition of [their] sacrifice, courage and genuine solidarity."

Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas on Wednesday stopped short of responding to demands from Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos for measures to relieve the pressure at the overcrowded migrant camp at Moria, admitting only that the situation is "very tough if not borderline."

Authorities on Lesvos, the main island gateway to the European Union for nearly a million refugees since 2015, have denied reports of plans to set up a new migrant camp, amid controversy over an alleged municipal campaign to deter groups of asylum seekers from visiting a popular beach.

Tensions on the Aegean island of Lesvos have peaked as 900 migrants who left the Moria reception center last week due to riots have sought refuge in local squares and parks and another camp near a seaside village. 

Local authorities have complained that new arrivals at Skala Sykamia have strained tensions with residents and store owners who are preparing for the peak tourist season. 

Authorities on the island of Lesvos on Tuesday morning lifted a blockade against the delivery of 50 shipping container homes that are bound for the migrant reception and processing center of Moria.

Residents of the Greek island of Chios will join a protest against the government's migration policy to be held in Athens on Tuesday, December 5, officials said Wednesday.

The rally, which will take place outside the Ministry for Migration Policy on Klafthmonos Square in the center of the capital, has been called by authorities on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos.

Fresh tension broke out in the capital of Lesvos on Wednesday after a small group of Afghan asylum seekers attempted to set up camp on one of the island's public squares in demand that they be transferred to the Greek mainland.

Riots broke out last night at the Lesvos refugee-immigration reception and identification centre in Moria. According to police sources, the incident started at midnight and lasted until the morning. The UNHCR premises for refugees sustained damage, as did an area that belonged to an NGO. A public prosecutor accompanied by a strong police force intervened to defuse the situation.

Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos chided the government on Tuesday for not living up to its promises to ease crowded conditions at accommodation centers sheltering asylum seekers on eastern Aegean islands, saying nothing has been done.