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Greek Govt Convenes on Refugee Crisis as Lesvos Pleads for Intervention

migrants-boat-capsizedMore than 200,000 migrants and refugees have entered Greece in 2015, with most of them coming from war-torn regions like Iraq, Afghanistan and, primarily, Syria. The Greek islands in the east Aegean Sea have particularly felt the effects of this unprecedented influx, as the they are the entry point of new arrivals.
In response to this situation, the Greek government decided on Wednesday to form a Coordinating Center for the Management of Refugee Flow. This latest initiative will include the Greek special forces, the police and the coast guard as well as officials of Greece’s Interior and Health Ministries.
The government also plans to immediately use the European Union funds provided to Greece to deal with the refugee crisis as well as to utilize state funds specifically directed to the Greek islands.
The Athens-Macedonian News Agency reported that European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos will meet with Greek government officials in Athens on Thursday to discuss the pressing matter. Timmermans and Avramopoulos will also visit the island of Kos on Friday.
Lesvos Mayor Asks Govt to Declare Island on State of Emergency
The island of Lesvos had a reported 12,000 migrants and refugees on Tuesday and has been one of the main entry points throughout 2015.
Amid this situation, Lesvos mayor Spiros Galinos asked the Greek government to declare a state of emergency on the island on Wednesday.
“We are letting you know that in the past two months, more undocumented immigrants and refugees have come through Lesvos than the total population of the island, thus more than 85,000. Despite the efforts to transport them to the mainland, the number of daily arrivals is much bigger than that of departures and as a result there are 10,000 people in the port of Mytilene,” a press release from the mayor’s office noted.
Galinos pointed out that these excessive numbers make it very hard for the island’s authorities to manage and take care of these people. The mayor warned of the situation getting out of hand due to the 10,000 litres of human feces left on the island each day, the ethnic and racial tension, the destruction of private and public property, the reaction of the local population, the state’s inability to react and the seemingly endless repetition of this situation.
Galinos also wants the Greek government to cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He also asked for the construction of new reception centers and facilities, outside of Lesvos.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, a number of migrants carried out a protest at the port of Mitilene against their inability to leave the island for mainland Greece and against the conditions of their stay, according to Protothema.gr

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