Hundreds protest against migrant camps
"Neither in Lesbos, nor anywhere, we will not turn Greek islands into prisons," hundreds of demonstrators chanted as they marched to the governor s office to protest against the construction of new camps on the islands, with over a quarter of a billion euros in funding from the EU.
Paying a visit to Lesbos on Monday, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced that the European Union is planning to provide 276 million euros for the construction and renovation of five migrant camps to be built on the Greek islands.
During her visit on Monday, the Commissioner urged the Greek government to speed up the construction of the new camps on the islands of Samos, Lesbos, Chios, and Kos and bring them to completion before winter. She also called on Turkey to take in migrants returned from Greece.
Residents of the Greek islands staged angry protests against plans to build new camps. „Neither in Lesbos, nor anywhere, we will not turn Greek islands into prisons,” the protesters chanted as they marched to the governor s office, journalist Giorgos Christides wrote on social media.
Hundreds of locals in #Lesvos marching towards government building where minister @nmitarakis and commissioner @YlvaJohansson will give presser. Main slogan: „neither in Lesvos nor anywhere else will we turn Greek islands into prisons“ (rhymes in Greek) pic.twitter.com/Le9lxEDDoA
— Giorgos Christides (@g_christides) March 29, 2021
The governor of the North Aegean region took the side of the protesters and cancelled his meeting with the EU Commissioner for Migration.
Regional governor of North Aegean is cancelling meeting with commissioner @YlvaJohansson Received standing ovation from #Lesvos protestors, says „I will not appear at all“ He is against new Camp, though member of ruling Nea Dimokratia party pic.twitter.com/MzPUyMSAd3
— Giorgos Christides (@g_christides) March 29, 2021
Locals protesting in the region against migrant camps are not a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of the migrant crisis, residents have suffered countless problems due to the influx of migrants.
Locals residents living on the islands have reported several lootings by immigrants around the camps. Migrants often slaughter and steal farmers livestock, even chopping down one farmer s olive trees to be used as firewood.
https://v4na.com/en/migrants-cut-down-five-tons-of-trees-41039/
A shepherd recently reported that he needed to keep a watchful eye on his cattle at all times. On one occasion, when he let his guard down for two hours, intruders managed to slaughter five of his sheep. The week before, he lost fifteen animals to migrant looters.
The shepherd from Lesvos vid with subtitles.
Migrants from the nearby camp keep stealing and butchering his cattle, yet nobody seems to care. pic.twitter.com/Y6M4F8yENI
— ???????????? ???????????????? (@thedukeoriginal) March 15, 2021
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