Migration Min. on Samos: Violence at migration centers 'will not be tolerated'

Commenting on violent incidents and arson at the Vathy Reception and Identification Center on Sunday and Monday, Mitarakis said that such incidents "will not be tolerated." He acknowledged that the situation on Samos, in the East Aegean, is difficult due to the congestion of facilities with asylum seekers there but warned that police had already arrested 22 migrants for the incidents "and criminal charges will be filed."

 "It's pretty clear that whoever comes to Greece and files for asylum is obliged by the Geneva Convention among others to respect Greek laws," Mitarakis said. "We are a country, we are not an open field. We will not accept incidents of violence at refugee and migrant facilities that endanger the lives of people living in them and those of the Samos residents," he added.

He said that 2,000 people had already been transferred off the island since the start of the year, and decongestion efforts continued on all Greek islands. "What has helped tremendously is the zero migrant influxes in Greece in April 2020, thanks to the great efforts of the men and women of security forces," he noted. 

The old Vathy facility and the Zervos one, now being expanded, "will not be concurrently open for more than 15 or 20 days," the minister said, while he explained that moving asylum seekers to controlled facilities outside of urban centers will help change conditions on islands bearing the brunt of migration.