ATHENS – The new closed and controlled structures on the islands of Leros and Kos were inaugurated on Saturday. “Today is a historic day” stated European Commission vice president Margaritis Schinas.

On his part, Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi underlined that « the conditions our islands experienced in the period 2015-2019 finally belong to the past”.

“The new and modern and multi-use reception and identification centres that were inaugurated today on Leros and Kos are a tangible proof of the undivided European solidarity with Greece” Schinas said in his speech.

Mitarachi underlined that the completion of the national reception system is a main pillar of the strict but fair migration policy that the government is following from the first moment. He also added that “with plan, systematic effort, patience and persistence we have clearly regained control of migration and have left behind the crisis of 2015. Today on Leros and Kos and in a few days on Samos and a few months later on Chios and Lesvos starts a new period”.

The Migration Ministry said that the new structures have all the modern technical and operational infrastructure in order to be safe for the hosted, workers and the local residents as they are situated far away from the urban fabric. They are structures that guarantee conditions of decent living for people that apply for asylum but also the necessary guard for the undocumented migrants that are going to be returned or deported.