Greece promises to set up "hot spots" on time

Greek government said on Monday all five "hot spots", centers where migrants are registered, will be ready on Greek islands before February 15, a deadline it agreed with European partners in autumn 2015.

Meanwhile, it also announced two relocation centers on the mainland will be ready by the deadline, despite protests from local communities.

"The country will fulfill the commitments," Defense Minister Panos Kammenos told a press briefing in Athens on Monday.

He added the government was open to dialogue, but there was no time for lengthy discussions, as people are dying in the Aegean Sea and survivors need aid with no more delays. According to the government, all the "hot spots" are temporary structures.

Kammenos' statement was made as construction work in old military camps was underway and hundreds of protesters were on the streets of Kos island, as well as the Piraeus suburb of Keratsini and a district in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where the two relocation centers will be set up.

In most cases, municipal authorities and residents protest that the plan went ahead without prior consultation with local communities.

Cabinet ministers have dismissed the reactions as "xenophobic outbreaks" by a minority of locals. Among protesters at Keratsini on Monday were ultra-Right Golden Dawn party MPs and members, but in several cases demonstrators have rejected any affiliation with the party.

The government has also accused critics of undermining the establishment of the registration centers for financial reasons.

Kammenos has openly talked about the flourishing of a black market on the islands in recent months.

A minority of locals exploits the needy refugees, overcharging products and services, as long as the assistance from the state mechanism is insufficient, he said. Only one "hot spot" is running so far on Lesvos island.

A total of 960,000 refugees entered Greece via Turkey on their way to other European countries since early 2015, according to the latest official data.

The cost of supporting the incoming refugees and migrants over the past two years and a half reached 2.7 billion euros(3.02 billion US dollars) for Greece, said Kammenos.

As the flow of refugees continues unabated this year despite bad weather in winter time, Greece requests more help from European partners and neighboring countries to face the challenge, as the debt laden country is threatened with an expulsion from the Schengen passport free travel zone.

Athens is under increasing pressure to set up the "hot spots" next week and improve the protection of its borders - which are also EU's borders - to avoid repercussions, as neighboring countries, such as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, are beefing up borders by erecting more fences.
   Xinhua -globaltimes.cn
9/2/16