Close to 18,000 refugees and migrants are documented to have arrived on the islands of Greece up until 3 July. More specifically, over half of them are located on the island of Lesvos (9,472), with Samos being next in line with 3,887 and Chios (2,054) and Kos (1,199).
This revelation comes just a few short days after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras revealed that the four islands that are dealing with the heaviest influx of asylum seekers will see their Value Added Taxes (VAT) being lowered as far as 30 per cent. Tsipras stated that this break will remain for the overcrowded islands “for as long as the refugee crisis remains”. Many however, are claiming that this is an attempt to raise appeal, with elections in Greece coming up as soon as October 2019.
In a common statement, the five mayors of the aforementioned islands (with the inclusion of Leros) pointed out that this isn’t a solution.
“We consider that the interpretation that the lower VAT tax rate has been given in exchange for the creation of new facilities to be unacceptable. Our islands cannot handle more migrants or refugees and this must be understood by all. The reduction in numbers is a priority for all the northern Aegean.”
The islands have become overpopulated ever since the migrants fled their own countries, seeking asylum from war. They have since been unable to move on to the rest of Europe as a swap deal was essentially suspended and has since been left in an “up-in-the-air” situation, forcing them to remain in Greece.
