MORIA, Lesbos – Municipal councils at the North Aegean islands of Lesbos and Chios convened on Monday and each decided a series of measures against the government’s recent decision to requisition land on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros to build detention facilities for the housing of rejected asylum applicants.

The Lesvos city council decided to establish guard and patrol groups in the area near Karava, where the new facility is said to be built, and also decided to set up a committee to coordinate these and further actions. It also decided to hold an open public assembly at the Madamados multicenter on Wednesday afternoon. It will also invite the migration minister to attend an upcoming meeting of the west Lesbos city council. Finally, the Lesbos city council decided to appeal the requisition plan to the administrative courts and the Council of State.

Meanwhile, the Chios municipal council also expressed its opposition to the takeover of land at the island’s location known as ’17’, and further decided to set up a committee, with the assistance of the Chios Bar Association and the Technical Chamber, to appeal against the requisition procedure and any other judicial acts related to it. It was also decided that no municipal service or legal entity would contribute to the creation of the facility on the island. Finally, the Chios city council called on its citizens to be alert.

Following the decision of the municipal council of Mytilini to reject the planned structure and to insist on the closure of existing ones, including the Moria hotspot, the mayor of Mytilini Stratis Kitelis noted that mayors had decided not to attend a Thursday meeting with the government in Athens after the requisition act, but would attend the mobilization of the Lesbian and Aegean Associations at Thursday’s scheduled rally outside the interior ministry.

North Aegean Region suspends cooperation with government until requisition plan is revoked

Τhe North Aegean Region (NAR) decided to suspend cooperation with the Greek government until the latter repeals its requisition plan for migration centers, following an extraordinary assembly meeting on Tuesday evening.

The administrative region condemned a legislative act by the government that will requisition land on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros to build refugee detention facilities, calling it an anti-democratic act. Its decision follows up on earlier measures announced by Lesvos and Chios to fight the act.

Furthermore, NAR also said it intended to pursue the matter in court, and to inform the Greek and European Parliament parties, and called for the immediate decongestion of the islands.