Malakasa migrant camp to control residents’ movements, says minister

A new migrant camp in Malakasa, east of the Greek capital, will become the first of its kind on the mainland where the movement of its residents will be tightly monitored, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Monday.

Speaking on Mega television, Mitarakis said that a system controlling who comes in an out the camp will be installed within the coming weeks, while individuals who are not entitled to stay at the overcrowded facility will be deported.

His comments come a day after residents of Malakasa held a rally on the national highway interchange to protest the plans for the camp, which will be the second one in the area, supplementing an open facility that is currently in operation.

The protesters clashed with police trying to prevent them from marching to the camp. Six officers were injured in the clashes and five people were remanded in custody.

Malakasa residents are complaining of a spike in crime in their area that they blame on migrants and refugees staying at the open camp, which does not have a system for monitoring their movements.