Greek capital’s main landfill shut down to draw attention to pickers
Regional authorities on Monday closed the capital’s main landfill at Fyli, northwestern Attica, warning of an increasingly dangerous situation as a growing number of undocumented immigrants have entered the grounds to scavenge while an adjacent Roma camp has swelled.
“The situation at the landfill is out of control,” Regional Governor Yiannis Sgouros said. “People, garbage trucks, bulldozers and trash are all in the same space with the constant risk of an accident.” The closure of the landfill was a largely symbolic move, with the dump expected to reopen on Tuesday. But Sgouros asked the government to intervene and curb “an unchecked influx of people.”
Last year, police units were dispatched to guard the landfill when a similar problem arose with a large influx of Roma scavengers.
Since the withdrawal of the police, the presence of Roma on the site, which covers 200 hectares, has increased significantly, according to staff at the dump.
