The relevant deputy minister in charge of migration policy is quoted in an Athens weekly as saying that the Greek government is considering a plan to use vacant flats around the country as residences for irregular migrants, following a recent eyebrow-raising decision to release many of the third country nationals held in detention centres.

In comments carried by the Sunday weekly Real News, deputy minister Minister Tasia Christodoulopoulou also said that there are a number of vacant hotels, private clinics and municipal buildings lying unusued, before reiterating the idea of leasing unoccupied apartments for use as temporary migrant shelters. She said owners would, if the plan is approved, be compensated while such prospect would preclude the possibility of creating “migrant ghettos”.

She pointed out that for the plan to go ahead, Greece would need to increase the rate of absorbency of EU Community funds.

Citing the squalid conditions in many of the detention centres the new leftist SYRIZA government ordered the release of many of the individuals being held there pending deportation. Most of the affected individuals are Third World nationals who entered Greece illegally via land borders with Turkey or by smugglers using sea routes.