Chronicle Editor
ATHENS -Greece yesterday acted to placate locals incensed over government plans to build new migrant detention centres on outlying islands, saying it was open to a compromise on their location.
The Athens government infuriated residents of five islands — all straddling a key route to Europe used by thousands of migrants, by announcing last week it would expedite the construction of closed detention centres to replace open-access, severely overcrowded camps. Local residents say they are concerned such an arrangement could become permanent.
Hundreds of islanders, an important demographic for the conservative New Democracy government — rallied in Athens last week to press calls for thousands of asylum seekers now on the islands to be transferred to the Greek mainland.
The conservatives have taken a markedly tougher stance towards migration than their leftist predecessors, issuing a tender for the construction of a floating fence to deter would-be asylum seekers arriving by sea and introducing faster asylum-processing procedures that could increase deportations.-Reuters.
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