Police conduct survey at Vial hotspot on Chios
Hundreds of asylum seekers stranded on Greece’s eastern Aegean islands who ought to have been moved to the mainland or deported are putting unnecessary pressure on the already-crowded facilities, Kathimerini understands.
A police inspection at the Vial hotspot on Chios found that 470 of the 1,468 individuals sheltered at the camp are not subject to the geographical restrictions stipulated by the EU-Turkey agreement.
These people are either entitled to refugee status or have been classified as belonging to “vulnerable” groups but remain on Chios due to lack of space at mainland facilities.
|Also inspectors found that a total of 20 individuals should have been transferred to pre-departure centers.
The operation was carried out following pressure from locals citing a Council of State ruling that the number of camp residents must not exceed the official capacity of 1,274.
Extreme overcrowding prevents authorities from conducting a similar survey at the Moria camp on Lesvos, which remains about 4,300 over capacity.
Authorities said another 88 people had landed on the Greek islands in the previous 24 hours.
