Apokoronas Municipality rejects migrant hosting facility

The Municipality of Apokoronas has formally rejected the establishment of a temporary migrant hosting facility within its administrative boundaries. In a letter addressed to the Regional Union of Municipalities of Crete, Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis stated that the municipality will not propose, provide, or accept any space for such a structure.

The municipality cited two primary reasons for its refusal: a lack of suitable infrastructure and a lack of social consensus. Officials noted that there are no available buildings or spaces that meet the necessary requirements for safety, hygiene, functionality, and dignified accommodation.

Mayor Koukianakis emphasized that the decision is not an opposition to the humanitarian management of migration, but rather a matter of local governance and the lack of appropriate facilities. He stressed that local authorities should not be bypassed in such planning processes and that the decision reflects the stance of the local community as recorded by the Municipal Council.