Two new ‘transit’ migrant camps to be created on mainland

The government plans to create two new camps on the mainland to host migrants and refugees being transferred from overcrowded facilities on the islands, saying that the new units would be temporary, serving only as “transit” centers.

The first of the two camps will be located in a disused military base in Karavomylos in the region of Fthiotida, while the second will be an addition to an already existing pre-departure facility in Corinth.

The Citizens' Protection Ministry hopes to have both facilities up and running by the end of the month in order to accommodate just over 900 migrants and refugees from the eastern Aegean.

The camps will reportedly consist of large tents accommodating up to 50 people at a time, mainly families that have been at facilities on the islands for a year or more.

Responding to local concerns about whether existing infrastructure would be adequate to meet their needs, the ministry said that these will be “transit” camps for families slated for relocation to better facilities.

Ministry sources said that individuals transported to these camps are not expected to remain there for more than a month.

Additional facilities are also reportedly in the pipeline in different parts of the mainland, aimed at taking in some 4,000 migrants and refugees from the islands, where there has been a significant increase in new arrivals in recent weeks.