Filenews 14 December 2022
Works began at the Pournara First Reception Centre in Kokkinotrimithia, in order to prevent migrants from "leaving unofficially", resulting in their uncontrolled movement in the area.
After the last serious incidents at the end of October, when residents of the camp set fire to infrastructure, it was decided to accelerate the installation of a second metal fence that will prevent migrants from leaving the Centre. The iron structure will be created around Pournara, since there will be a security lane from the existing one, so that the Centre can be patrolled by the police officers who are there.
As announced by the Minister of Interior Nikos Nouris, the project was expected to be completed by March 2023, but this is considered a long delay, which is why he personally intervened to complete it earlier. Bulldozers appeared in the area demarcating the space on which the fencing will be installed, which will be four meters high and will essentially make it impossible for migrants to escape from the structure.
However, the picture has changed in and around the Accommodation Centre, as the situation is calm, while the works for the creation of the iron fence, which according to the plans of the competent authorities, is expected to be a natural obstacle to the residents' effort to leave the area of Pournara, are proceeding normally. The second fencing had been decided after it was found that in the existing one, there were scattered holes from which the residents came and went, resulting in uncontrolled and observed phenomena of ghettoization in the area, with complaints from the residents of Kokkinotrimithia and the president of the community for an unprecedented situation, with dozens of people circulating in the courtyards of the houses.
Now with the creation of a second fence, the work of the Police will become easier since it will be able to supervise the Centre with patrols between the two fences.
The excavators have initially cleared the site, and now they are creating the perimeter by digging a half-metre groove in which the railings will be placed.
Along with the new fence, the measures decided by the Police to assist the local station with the placement of additional police officers have been strengthened.
