Opposition to structures on Leros and at Evros
Serious objections are being raised to the government’s plans for the creation of new, larger reception and identification centers for asylum seekers on the Evros land border and the southeastern Aegean island of Leros.
Representatives of the local government and bodies in Evros are opposed to the planned increase in the capacity of the new center to 1,500 people, while today the structure can accommodate up to 600 people.
The deputy governor of Evros, Dimitris Petrovic, told Kathimerini that this will potentially lead to the creation of “a camp of migrants on the country’s borders.”
He noted, however, that Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis promised him that he will go to the region in the next two weeks to talk with the bodies and the representatives of the local government.
At the same time, the Municipal Authority of Leros has appealed to the Council of State in a bid to stop the construction of a new structure on the island with a capacity of 2,000 people (the existing one can accommodate up to 800), stating that the selected location, Lakki Bay, is an area of exceptional natural beauty and has been designated as a protected area.
