Greece: in Samos, the "closed center with controlled access" to ease tensions against migrants
View of a migrant camp on the Greek island of Samos.
September 19, 2021. AFP - LOUISA GOULIAMAKI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Greece, on the island of Samos, neighboring Turkey, the destruction of the former Vathy camp, attached to the capital of the island, is due to begin this Thursday, September 23.
At the same time, the opening this week of a new refugee camp with a capacity of 3,000 places - of which 1/3 are located in a detention center - arouses some apprehension on the part of some 2,000 residents. from the nearest village.
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From our special correspondent in Samos,
Joël Bronner
The official name of this camp, qualified as a “
closed center with controlled access
”, is also intended in part to reassure this local population.
In principle, asylum seekers should be able to leave this camp between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., which is regularly compared to a prison.
About 5 kilometers separate the new Zervou camp and Mitilinii, the nearest village.
That the camp is ultra-secure reassures some of the inhabitants, like Emanouil Drinis, owner of a café.
“
They will be under control.
This is a positive point because in the previous camp, in Vathy, they didn't care about anything.
Everyone did what they wanted and some went to the gardens or houses at night.
For me, it's a good thing that there is control,
”he says.
Police and security guards present
Nikos Ftinoyani, from the municipal council, explains the apprehension of some of the villagers, accustomed to the calm of isolation: “
We can see from the way in which this camp was built that it is not a question of temporary structure but a permanent camp for
3,000 people.
We have the example of the Vathy camp, where there were a lot of problems, including thefts and fights.
It is therefore natural that the inhabitants of here are a little afraid.
"
A concern confirmed by this resident.
“
We are afraid because their presence has caused a lot of damage here in Samos,
” she said.
In the village, we have no police, nothing, we are like alone in the world
.
"
Police and security agents will however be permanently present in the new Zervou camp, which will also contribute to its image as a prison.
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