Locals in Serres, northern Greece have been staging protests against the government plans to move migrants and refugees who arrived on the islands after March 1 in camps in their areas.
In the town of Sintiki, dozens gathered outside the closed military camp Kalergis before down on Friday and set up fires to warm up due to freezing temperatures.
A call on social media had mobilized the locals. In the middle of the night, the callers drove through the village with loutspeakers and called on residents to go to the camp.
Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Migration appointed the Kalergis camp as alternative to Vasiliadis military camp by Rodopoli, also in region of Serres, due to local protests too.
In a meeting on Thursday evening, local authorities proposed other camps.
however, the Secretary General for Migration Policy Manos Logothetis made it clear that the new structure would operate within the municipality of Sintiki.
The camps are supposed to be closed and host more than 500 refugees and migrants who arrived on Lesvos since March 1, the day Greece suspended asylum applications by new arrivals on the islands fearing a mass influx after Turkey opened its border gates.
Meanwhile, on Lesvos, the migrants and refugees have been boarding on ferry “Rhodos” of the Greek Navy to be transported to northern Greece.
Protests on the mainland have often drove a wedge to the government plans to decongest the islands.
I pray that EU, UN and maybe US would step in asap! and I am forever grateful that I am not a refugee trying to escape war! I feel sorry for the ones trying to flee to safety. And I guess we have to watch out now sow another war doesn´t start! and I feel with the Greeks as well – it is a more than troublesome situation!
Once again we give in to Turkish demands and bullying. Shame on you Mitsotakis. Why dont you give our islands to the Turks.