The Ministry of Migration and Asylum is pressing ahead with plans to establish a temporary migrant detention facility at a former factory in Iraklio, Crete, despite an urban planning report identifying zoning violations at the site.
According to ministry sources, all necessary procedures will be completed to ensure the facility becomes operational.
The report was commissioned following objections from residents of nearby villages, who oppose the creation of the center, which is intended to accommodate migrants arriving on Crete from north Africa. It would be the island’s second such facility, following an existing reception center operating outside Hania.
Local residents in the Iraklio area say they feel vindicated by the findings and are calling on the ministry to reconsider. They have warned that, otherwise, they may pursue legal action and seek precautionary measures to halt the project.
Authorities have been seeking to establish a second reception facility on Crete for more than 18 months, as the island has increasingly become a primary entry point for migrants arriving in Greece. In June alone, 3,233 arrivals were recorded on Crete, including 558 between June 22 and 28.
