An increasing number of residents of the eastern Aegean island of Chios are opposed to the planned establishment of a closed camp for migrants. The reactions culminated during an official holiday on Thursday, when several hundred residents gathered at the port to prevent unloading of construction equipment from a ferry, according to the online edition of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
The political consequences could be "costly" for the government, as Chios is likely to elect a member of parliament this summer, according to a recent census.
In a bid to defuse tensions, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis, an elected MP from the island's ruling New Democracy, held an online press conference Friday with local media, stressing that the structure would protect the islanders.
The 54.8m-euro facility will replace the current camp and have a capacity of 1,230 people.
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