Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Alternate Finance Minister dismisses press reports on new tax burdens

[02] Activists hang banners at the Acropolis

[03] Interior Min Kouroumblis describes the situation at Idomeni as a "modern Dachau"

[04] A total of 46,207 refugees in Greece, says Special Management Coordinating Body for Refugee Crisis

[01] Alternate Finance Minister dismisses press reports on new tax burdens

Alexiadis said press reports over additional tax burdens on wages of between 1,500-2,000 euros were excessive and hypocritical, although he admitted that the tax system still remains unfair.

[02] Activists hang banners at the Acropolis

The "Safe Passage-Stop Wars" initiative hang banners reading "Open Borders" and "Safe Passage Stop Wars."

The members of the initiative remained at the Acropolis for 15 minutes and left.

[03] Interior Min Kouroumblis describes the situation at Idomeni as a "modern Dachau"

Kouroumblis pledged to improve the health system and the policing of the area while he urged refugees to be transferred to accommodation centers.

"The situation here reminds of a modern Dachau and this is a result of closed borders. We believed in a Europe of open borders, a Europe which has constantly in mind that the blood shed because of nationalism should not be shed again. Europe, unfortunately, sees again the rise of a peculiar nationalism towards persecuted people. And a Europe of 580 million inhabitants hesitates to absorb 1.0-1.5 million people who were forced to leave their country because of a war in which Europe also participated and Europe," Kouroumblis noted.

[04] A total of 46,207 refugees in Greece, says Special Management Coordinating Body for Refugee Crisis

On the islands of the Aegean, the number has risen to 7,271 persons. In the Attica region, there are 13,592 refugees of whom 670 are newly arrived.

1,970 are hosted at Schisto, 712 at Elaionas, 4,490 at the premises of Elliniko, 800 at Malakasa, 402 at the camp of the Agricultural Bank at Lavrion, and 264 in the hosting facilities for asylum seekers at Lavrio. At the port of Piraeus, there are 4.954 people.

At the camp of Ritsona 547 refugees are hosted, 392 at a hotel in Thermopylae, 191 at Trikala and 400 at Larissa. In Diavata there are 2,211, 3,852 at Cherso, Kilkis, 3,504 in New Kavala, Kilkis, 731 in New Karvali, Kavala, 210 in Eleftheroupoli, Kavala, 479 in Drama, 400 in Kozani, 162 in Konitsa and 190 in Pieria. For the first time, 325 refugees were hosted in the port of Thessaloniki for the first time.

Another 10,500 people are in the camps at Idomeni and 1,250 in the gas station of Polykastro.

As regards the situation at Idomeni, eight new prefabricated houses were transferred at the camp of Idomeni at the Greece-FYROM buffer zone, where more than 12,000 refugees remain stranded awaiting the results of the EU-Turkey summit.

Two of them will be used as info points to provide information on the relocation programme, one will be used for translators and another one for the needs of the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO). The other four will host the people working there.

Meanwhile, police distributed a new leaflet for refugees in Greek, Arabic and Farsi saying: "The borders are closed. Food and accommodation are provided in hospitality centres. Do not trust irresponsible people that put you at risk. Do not get into trouble for any reason."

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