Migrants being moved into hotels and apartments to ease pressure on camps

As conditions at the 28 official migrant camps on the Greek mainland deteriorate under pressure from the transfer of thousands of people from inadequate facilities on the islands, many new arrivals are being placed in private apartments and hotels.

The Migration Ministry has initiated a program to place migrants in apartments, using 5 million euros donated by Parliament to tackle the refugee crisis. From September 21 to October 5, 1,567 people from Moria's hot spot on Lesvos had been moved into apartments in Volvi in central Macedonia, with 100 more expected in the next few days. Another 792 spots were created by renting nine hotels in Grevena, western Macedonia, of which 400 have already been covered.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), moreover, will provide another 5,000 hotel spots by end-October.

Ministry sources said they are hoping that the...