Statement by Commissioner Avramopoulos after his meeting with the Mayors of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos

Following my visit to Lesvos, we had a constructive meeting today with the Mayors of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. I had the opportunity to inform them and to be informed by them.

I came here to hear the Mayor's concerns and to discuss how, with their cooperation, the situation can immediately be improved.

Migration management, in Greece, is a national challenge and exceeds political parties confrontations.

We all agreed that the images we saw last week cannot be repeated. The inhabitants of these islands have shown enormous altruism and humanity since the beginning of the migratory crisis, and I want to express, once again, my gratitude towards them.

But the recent unexpectedly harsh weather conditions have exposed the needs that have to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Winterised shelters, already funded by the European Commission, have to urgently be installed by the UNHCR.

In parallel, the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement has to be accelerated and measures to enhance security on the islands have to be taken. The islands coordinators have to immediately take over their tasks and cooperate with the local authorities.

All means to alleviate the pressure from the islands including measures of financial support have to be discussed with the Greek government.

I reassured the Mayors that the European Commission stands by Greece and its islands, as it stands by Italy, Bulgaria and other affected countries. The response to the migratory crisis is a collective European responsibility.

Finally, I invited the Mayors to Brussels in one month from now to take stock of the progress on the ground.

STATEMENT/17/113