Lesbos
Protests in Greece over New Refugee Centers
Greek administrative officials and residents of the five Greek Aegean islands accommodating refugees and migrants have staged a protest in Athens against plans to build new camps.
Dozens of protesters from the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos Leros and Kos gathered in front of the interior ministry, carrying placards against projects for new refugee camps.
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Ignoring the reality of the migration crisis
The government has responded to intensifying demands to ease the pressure on the five eastern Aegean islands that are on the front line of the migration/refugee crisis by creating new detention facilities. It has responded to the demand for the immediate transfer of tens of thousands of asylum seekers to facilities on the mainland by planning to put them behind walls on the islands.
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Migration minister extends olive branch to islanders
Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis sought on Wednesday to placate enraged islanders in the northern and eastern Aegean, calling for an itemization of damage to public and private property caused by residents of state-run migrant camps and pledging compensation.
Mitarakis calls on islands affected by migration to apply for compensation
In an effort to mitigate the reactions by local communities to a government plan to expropriate land on the islands of the North Aegean and build new detention centres for migrants and refugees, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis sent a letter to island mayors asking them to list damages to property caused to migration to receive compensation.
Editorial: Tough decisions
Let us not fool ourselves. Greece will for a long time continue to shoulder by far the greatest share of the burden of the refugee crisis on its own.
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Aegean island residents against closed centers
Mayors of islands where the government plans to create new closed centers for migrants via expropriations have expressed their vehement opposition and have declined, in protest, to attend a scheduled meeting Thursday with Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis. Moreover, a protest rally will be held Thursday by residents of Lesvos island outside the Interior Ministry in Athens.
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Petsas touts closed refugee centres as key step in managing migrant crisis
Amidst a barrage of criticism over its lack of a comprehensive plan for dealing with the refugee migrant crisis, government spokesman Stelios Petsas maintained that there has been progress in correcting the deficiencies in SYRIZA's management of the crisis.
Catholic church in Lesvos to celebrate St. Valentine's Day
The Catholic Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Lesvos will celebrate St. Valentine's Day with two high mass liturgies on Thursday and Friday, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported Tuesday.
The Assumption church is one of the numerous churches that claim to keep relics of Saint Valentine.
North Aegean regional authority to challenge expropriations act in court
The council of the North Aegean Region on Tuesday voted to take legal action against a legislative act announced by the government to expropriate land and properties on five islands for the creation of detention centers for asylum seekers.
The council also agreed to suspend all cooperation with the government until it repeals the legislative act that will enforce the measures.
Tensions Erupt on Greek Islands as Asylum Policies Bite
Between September 2019 and January 2020, the government transferred 14,750 people to the mainland, even as 36,000 new arrivals crossed the Aegean to Greece from Turkey, according to UNHCR data.