Minister summons regional governors, demands solutions for migrant camps

Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis will be convening an emergency meeting of the country's regional governors in Athens on Friday to discuss plans to create new migrant and refugee camps on the Greek mainland following reactions to the transfer of hundreds of asylum seekers from woefully overcrowded facilities on the Aegean islands.

Chrysochoidis called the meeting late on Tuesday after plans to build a new facility at a disused military base near the city of Lamia in central Greece were scuppered by local reactions. The minister sent an email to all 13 recently elected regional governors, demanding that they come ready with proposals on how to deal with the issue.

Chrysochoidis' decision was triggered by the impact of the growing number of migrants arriving from Turkey on island camps, where conditions are already at boiling point.

According...