In protest against the construction of new camps for refugees, all regional and local authorities as well as most shops on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos have been closed today. The strikes are under the motto „We want our islands back“, as reported by the Greek radio (ERT).
„The islands may no longer be camps of lost souls,“ it said. Local unions, municipalities and the Association of State Employees (ADEDY) have called for the strikes.
Clashes between residents and police
The previous day there had been clashes between angry residents and the police on Lesbos and Chios. The officials used pepper spray, tear gas and truncheons to end roadblocks for residents trying to prevent the new camps from being built.
Athens should ensure that the dozens of refugees who translate from Turkey to these islands every day are brought to the mainland after their registration, the islanders demand. In and around the registration camps on the islands of the East Aegean, almost 42,000 people are now waiting. The camps can only accommodate around 8,000 people.
The government of the conservative Nea Dimokratia (ND) under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has accelerated the asylum procedure in view of these conditions and now wants to open new registration and deportation camps.
