Under the pressure of a Refugee Crisis that is keeps escalating into an unprecedented level due to the unwillingness of many European countries ot share responsibility, Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas said on Sunday, that he has drafted and submitted an Emergency Plan to EU.
The cost of the Emergency Plan has been estimated 480 million euro to cover material, infrastructure, staff and other needs.
“The benefit of an emergency plan is that it gives the options of hiring extra staff that will be needed” Mouzalas told private Mega TV on Sunday morning, adding “there is an option to declare state of emergency in the south region of Attica as a means of civil protection.”
There have been some reports that “permissions for leave for common soldiers and some officials have been recalled” and that “the personnel concerned should return to barracks by 06:00 Sunday.” The Armed Forces were allegedly on alert. However these reports have not been officially confirmed so far – and if true, the Army activity could have rather to do with the building of relocations centers and hot spots as the Defense Ministry has been assigned with this job..
The first stages of the plan refer to the opening of s0-called “emergency shelters/camps” two in Attica Prefecture and two in Kilkis prefecture in Northern Greece. These shelters are not “relocation camps” but places like the premises of the old Ellinikon airport, where refugees and migrants can sleep, get food and enjoy conditions for humane living for as long as it will be needed – or until a solution is found.
“We are building emergency camps – not the usual reception centers – with tents in fields,” Mouzalas stressed.
Authorities are reportedly seeking for more such places to host refugees and migrants as the number of people literally living on the streets has reached a dramatic level.
It is estimated that at least 22,000 people have been stranded in Greece since last Sunday, when FYROM and other West Balkan countries closed borders to refugees following Austria’s instructions. Some 7,000 are waiting in Idomeni to cross the borders, at least 2,000 are in Piraeus, an unknown number is in Athens and in other places on the mainland.
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Mouzalas estimated that some 70,000 people could be ‘trapped‘ in Greece by March.
The Minister said also that Greece was preparing an online advertisement campaign with the UN for broadcast in Turkey so that migrants and refugees decide not to cross the Aegean.
