Leros seeks help after influx of immigrants
Prefectural authorities in the Dodecanese yesterday appealed to the government to declare a state of emergency on the island of Leros, which has been besieged by more than 300 would-be migrants over the last few days. Local authorities, who have sent some of the migrants to Piraeus, say they do not have the infrastructure to cope with the influx. They have asked that the immigrants, many of whom are minors, be transferred to organized reception centers across the country. Local hotel owners have offered to accommodate the children but only until early June when the first wave of tourists is expected. Concerned islanders are appealing for donations of shoes and clothes for the younger migrants. On other Greek islands, another 188 migrants were detained over the weekend: 75 on Agathonisi, 32 on Samos, 22 on Evia and 59 in Nafplion.
