Tensions peak again on Lesvos amid plans for more migrant camps

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. 

There are also concerns about plans by the government to create new facilities for migrants on the island.

In a letter to Migration Mayor Dimitris Vitsas, Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos called for the decongestion of the overcrowded Moria camp, adding that new centers “cannot be allowed under any circumstances.”