Michalis Angelopoulos

Despite the bad weather, dozens of undocumented migrants made the short but perilous crossing to the Aegean islands from Turkey in the last few days of the year.

A delegation from Samos is to travel to Athens in the coming days to present its objections to plans for a new migration reception center at a military facility on the island to officials of the Migration Ministry and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA). 

Protesters will converge outside the Immigration Policy Ministry on Tuesday to demand immediate relief for the eastern Aegean islands of Samos, Lesvos and Chios, where facilities for migrants and refugees are overflowing with thousands of stranded asylum seekers.

As dozens of migrants continue to land daily on the shores of eastern Aegean islands, and tensions rise in reception centers, local communities are becoming increasingly divided over growing migrant populations, Ekathimerini writes.

Samos has received a European Diploma from the Council of Europe. Besides the prestige associated with this international award for protected areas, it will also boost the eastern Aegean island's profile in Europe.