Local residents, the island’s mayor and members of the municipal council of Leros early Thursday prevented refugees and migrants from being transferred there from other islands to disembark from the ferry “Blue Star Paros”.

Immediately after the arrival of the ferry, a delegation from the municipal council headed by Leros Mayor Mihalis Kolias came on to the vessel and demanded that the migrants and refugees remain on board. After talking with the police officers that accompanied the foreign nationals, the vessel’s crew and the port authority it was decided that the ferry set sail without letting the migrants and refugees come ashore.

In a statement, the mayor said that Leros will not accept any more migrants and refugees and the local community’s reaction will be the same any time the transfer of more migrants is attempted.

Kolias said that the municipality of Leros demands the immediate decongestion of the island’s hotspot, that the island accept only those migrants or refugees found within the borders of the municipality of Leros and that newly arrived migrants and refugees be transferred to the mainland within two days, in line with the commitments made by the competent authorities.

source amna.gr