Official Brussels this week directly blamed Greek authorities for the atrocious conditions at a handful of shelters set up on eastern Aegean islands to temporarily host thousands of third country nationals that landed on Greek territory from Turkey in a bid to reach other west and central European destinations.
“The Commission has made the funding available to ensure appropriate accommodation for all. However, the Commission cannot order the creation or expansion of reception capacity, against the opposition of the competent authorities,” Maarten Verwey, the EU coordinator for the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on migration, told Brussels-based "New Europe" before Christmas.
Verwey said the leftist-rightist coalition government in Athens and the local authorities on Lesvos (Mytilene) and Chios (Hios) have a large part of the responsibility for the conditions at the migrant/refugee "hotspots" on the islands.
New Europe reports that Greek authorities recorded 13,663 third country nationals (irregular migrants) on the islands, whereas the Commission secured funding for larger numbers, up to 15,000 migrants, "... 2,000 of which should be able to use the beds provided by apartments and hotels under the UNHCR rental scheme."
