Ombudsman demands closure of Malakasa refugee facility

Greece’s Ombudsman is demanding the permanent closure of the Malakasa refugee facility, citing a 2023 Supreme Administrative Court ruling that declared the installation’s licensing illegal. 

The court’s plenary session ruled the facility unlawful because authorities failed to examine alternative locations before establishing it on reforestation land. Despite the ruling, the state refuses to implement the decision. 

The facility, built in 2020 on 6 hectares of military land to house 1,500 people, was constructed during what the Migration Ministry called a “massive influx of thousands of migrants into Greek territory from land and sea borders, after Turkey opened its borders on February 28, 2020.” 

The land was twice designated for reforestation, in 1993 and 2015. A 1992 decision to grant the area to a military housing organization for 78 million euros was previously overturned by the Supreme Court, which ruled forest law prohibits granting forest areas for urban development. 

The Oropos Municipality, which initially challenged the facility in 2020, has now appealed to the Supreme Court’s Compliance Council, seeking enforcement of the 2023 ruling. 

The Ombudsman has repeatedly contacted relevant ministries since early this year, requesting implementation of the court decision while ensuring refugees are relocated to facilities that “guarantee their safe and dignified living.”

Kathimerini