Greece will shut overcrowded refugee camps on its outlying islands and replace them with more restrictive holding centers, toughening its stance toward asylum seekers.
The conservative government said on Wednesday it would tighten controls at Greece’s borders and clear bottlenecks in asylum vetting procedures that have left thousands of people fleeing conflict in limbo, Reuters reports.
Living conditions for about 37,000 people in camps, known as “hotspots,” on five Aegean islands have been decried by aid groups as appalling. The country is currently struggling with a resurgence in migrant and refugee arrivals.