Greek Minister Plevris Faces Local Opposition Over Crete Migrant Centre

Residents of the Athanatoi area in Heraklion have sent a formal letter to Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris demanding an immediate suspension of the plan to convert the former Skouloudi factory into a temporary migrant reception centre. The community cites multiple concerns, including documented zoning violations, fire‑protection shortcomings, flood risk due to the site's proximity to an unregulated stream, limited access and inadequate emergency evacuation routes.

The letter, also addressed to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Minister, the regional governor, the mayor of Heraklion and parliamentary representatives, asks the ministry to publish all studies, approvals and evaluation criteria, to explain why alternative locations were not considered, and to provide any fire‑safety or hydrological assessments that justify the site's suitability. Minister Plevris has previously stated that only technical and procedural issues remain and that Crete requires two temporary reception sites to manage increased migrant arrivals, but residents argue that transparency and safety must be ensured before any further steps.

The petition highlights the community’s call for full public disclosure of the administrative file and for a reassessment of the site’s suitability in light of the identified safety and regulatory issues.