Greece will close the hopelessly overcrowded camp for asylum seekers and migrants on the Aegean island of Samos by the end of the year, a government minister said on Tuesday.
“The situation on Samos is very difficult. It will be closed,” Migration Minister, Notis Mitarakis, said while visiting the camp located on a hill above the town of Vathy.
A new facility is being constructed some seven kilometres away, still on the island.
In the last two days, two fire incidents have occurred in the camp, destroying dozens of tents, huts and container homes.
The authorities suspect the camp was set on fire intentionally and police have detained 22 migrants.
The suspects face criminal charges for arson.
Local observers speculate that the fires were intended to force the Greek government into relocating the migrant population to the mainland.
It is also possible that the torching of the already miserable accommodation was part of a conflict between Afghan and African migrants, according to reports that quoted aid workers on the island.
Camp Vathy is hopelessly overcrowded with some 6,800 people living in and around it, a population about 10 times higher than it was built to house.
The situation is similar to other Aegean islands with big reception camps, such as Lesbos, Kos, Leros and Chios.
dpa/NAN
