ATHENS – The facility in Malakasa is to be the first controlled-access refugee and migrant facility in mainland Greece, stated Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi on Monday, speaking to MEGA TV.

He explained that a controlled entrance-exit system will be installed in the following weeks to force those not entitled to stay in Malakasa to leave, as the facility is currently overcrowded.

Mitarachi said that until last Friday the facilities were supervised by either international organisations or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The government has now re-activated older legislation and appointed directors to the facilities, who over the coming weeks are going to organise the departure of those no longer entitled to accommodation there, in order to reduce the number of people to a more reasonable level.

Asked about the decongestion of the islands, the minister said that 13,000 people have already been transferred elsewhere after January 1, 2020 and the total number of people hosted on the islands was now 20 percent reduced, despite the new arrivals in January and February.