A migrant boat approaches the island of Lesvos. Credit: Greek Coast GuardOn Thursday, Greece announced a massive drop in the number of migrants and asylum seekers in the country, particularly on the Aegean islands.
Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarakis said that the population of migrants on the North Aegean islands dropped from 6.41% of the total population in March 2021 to just 1.13% in March 2022.
“All regions of the country are well below the 1% threshold we had set as our target in 2019; soon the North Aegean will follow suit,” said Mitarakis.
He added: “The strict but fair migration policy that we apply consistently, has allowed us, today, to draw a very different map concerning migration. The substantial decongestion of the islands, the mainland and the large urban centers continues. Now, we are leaving the migration crisis behind us for good.”
Greek authorities released a report according to which the number of refugee and migrant residents overall on the islands as of March 2022 recorded a reduction by 78% compared to March 2021.
