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There will be no new hotspots on the islands, Migration Min Vitsas says

There will be no new hotspots on the islands, Migration Min Vitsas says

There will be no new hotspots on the island of Lesvos or on other Aegean islands, Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas said on Friday speaking to the Greek parliament.

Vitsas replied to a timely question by independent deputy Charis Theoharis who asked if the government is willing to creat more hotspots on the islands.

Vitsas said that they have decided to shutt down the hotspot on Samos (and a new one to be built) and to decongest the islands.

"I prefer the speeding up of asylum procedures instead of building hotspots," Vitsas stressed adding that the goal is to have the asylum procedure completed in 90 days.

He underlined that the target is the increase of volutarily returns. "The returns is the most difficult part," said Vitsas and cited the example of Germany according to which only two individuals have been sent back, two months after the signing of the agreement.

The minister repeated that the condition on the islands, particularly on Samos and Lesvos, is very difficult and referred to the increased refugee flows in 2018 and the fact that Greece's borders to the north are closed.

He said that 4,365 people were sent from Moria hotspot to the mainland in 2017 and 5,441 in 2018 while another 1,030 will have left by October 15.

Concluding, Vitsas expressed his fear because "organised traffickers rings are watching us."

Source: amna-mpa