The German chancellery issued a response this week to a letter sent by the mayors of five eastern Aegean islands bearing the brunt of the refugee/migrant crisis since 2015, when smugglers operating in western coastal Turkey ferried tens of thousands of third country nationals onto Greek isles – the closest EU territory in the region.
The mayors of Lesvos (Mytilene), Hios (Chios), Leros, Kos and Samos were joined by the president of the local government association, Maroussi Mayor Giorgos Patoulis, had addressed the letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, detailing the particularly difficult conditions that now exist on the islands since 2015. Tens of thousands of third country nationals remain on the specific islands, often housed in wretched “hot stops” after filing for asylum.
The response came by Chancellery spokesman Dr. Jan Hecker.
The response, in English, is [here]
