The Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas met with the mayors of Glyfada, Elliniko-Argyroupoli and Alimos on Tuesday morning in order to discuss the relocation of refugees to the site of the former airport of Athens. A new meeting has been planned for the afternoon on Tuesday.
After the morning meeting the Minister was confident that an agreement would be reached and that in the afternoon “we will only announce good news”, adding that major efforts are made between the government and local authorities to find the best possible solution.
Mr. Mouzalas noted that the goal is to find a solution to address the need for temporary shelter to accommodate displaced people and the “baseless” concerns of local residents, namely that the temporary accommodation will turn into permanent refugee camps.
The Mayor of Elliniko Yannis Konstantatos told journalists that “our reactions are reasonable, they are not against migrants” and repeated his opposition to the prospect of the refugee relocation at the site of the former airport, arguing that he cannot ensure the security of local residents or hygiene in the area.
