Lesbos

Let us not fool ourselves. Greece will for a long time continue to shoulder by far the greatest share of the burden of the refugee crisis on its own.

Mayors of islands where the government plans to create new closed centers for migrants via expropriations have expressed their vehement opposition and have declined, in protest, to attend a scheduled meeting Thursday with Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis. Moreover, a protest rally will be held Thursday by residents of Lesvos island outside the Interior Ministry in Athens.

Amidst a barrage of criticism over its lack of a comprehensive plan for dealing with the refugee migrant crisis, government spokesman Stelios Petsas maintained that there has been progress in correcting the deficiencies in SYRIZA's management of the crisis.

The Catholic Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Lesvos will celebrate St. Valentine's Day with two high mass liturgies on Thursday and Friday, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported Tuesday.

The Assumption church is one of the numerous churches that claim to keep relics of Saint Valentine.

The council of the North Aegean Region on Tuesday voted to take legal action against a legislative act announced by the government to expropriate land and properties on five islands for the creation of detention centers for asylum seekers.

The council also agreed to suspend all cooperation with the government until it repeals the  legislative act that will enforce the measures.

Between September 2019 and January 2020, the government transferred 14,750 people to the mainland, even as 36,000 new arrivals crossed the Aegean to Greece from Turkey, according to UNHCR data.

Northern Aegean Regional Governor Kostas Moutzouris said he was "surprised" by the Greek government's sudden announcement on Monday that it is speeding up the creation of new, closed migrant centers on the islands.

Greece plans to accelerate the creation of detention centres on its outlying islands in the Aegean Sea after a backlash against overcrowded camps by some migrants and nearby residents.

Construction of closed pre-departure migrant centers on Greece's eastern Aegean islands will begin in March, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Monday, adding that the new facilities are expected to operate by summer.

The regional governor of the Northern Aegean, Kostas Moutzouris submitted a new call on Wednesday to declare a state of emergency on three islands, following two days of protest marches by asylum seekers demanding better living conditions and a quicker asylum procedure, and attacks by extremists in Lesvos.