Thermopylae asylum facility to close permanently
The asylum seekers' accommodation facility at Thermopylae in central Greece will close permanently on September 30, with the government saying the site is no longer needed because of reduced migration flows.
Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris visited the area on Tuesday and said the facility currently has no residents. He added that the site will be handed back to the local community after the closure.
Minister says location was inappropriate
In a video posted on X from Thermopylae, Plevris stood near the statue of Leonidas and pointed out that the accommodation facility is located about 300 metres from the historic landmark.
The minister said the facility had been established in what he described as the wrong location and argued that its continued operation was no longer necessary.
"We are at the sacred site of Thermopylae, at the statue of Leonidas. And 300 metres from here is the accommodation facility for foreign nationals," Plevris said.
He also said the decision to close the facility had been made from the beginning of his tenure and that he had consistently stated that it would eventually shut down.
Site to be handed to local community
Plevris said the facility is currently empty and that the next step will be to make the site available for local use.
"Today, it has no residents, and in the coming period we will hand it over to local residents so that the area can be further enhanced," he said.
The permanent closure follows a timetable announced by the minister on July 15. At the time, Plevris said the facility would become inactive on September 30 and that the necessary legislative and administrative procedures would be completed.
"From October 1, the facility will no longer operate," he said at the time.
Source:AMNA
