©ANSA Lesbos, along with Chios and Samos, is one of the eastern Aegean islands that has suffered most following the influx of refugees trying to enter Europe through Greece. Now, the city's mayor, Spyros Galinos, wants to rectify the situation.
Galinos wants to create a new partnership with the municipality of Piraeus, following a recommendation by the Lesvos City Council on a proposal set under the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) program. Under the new agreement, the city of Lesbos will be solely responsible for facilitating the transition of people who have received asylum - after they have completed all the procedures - to the Municipality of Piraeus."In this way and through this partner network, we aim to facilitate and further enhance the process of decongesting the island with the faster transfer of asylum seekers to mainland Greece," added Galinos. Spike in new arrivals An improvement in the weather conditions across the region has coincided with a spike in new arrivals of migrants from Turkey, despite an agreement to return undocumented migrants to Ankara. A total of 124 migrants and refugees were reported to have landed on Greek shores in a 24-hour period over the weekend. Eighty arrived in Lesbos, 30 in Chios and 14 in Leros. According to official figures, 62,204 migrants and refugees are currently stranded in mainland Greece and its islands.
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