Stemming migration flows to islands ‘priority’ says minister

The government's priority is to reduce migration flows to the Eastern Aegean islands, new Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis declared Sunday.

Mitarakis was visiting the islands of Samos and Lesvos to gauge reactions to government's migration policy. The conservative New Democracy government re-established the Migration ministry it had abolished when it gained power last July.

Public opinion in the islands is overwhelmingly in favor of reducing migrant flows and a general strike is planned on the islands Wednesday against what they perceive as the government's failure to do so.