Five hotspots, under the legal form of First Reception Centres – later known as Reception and Identification Centres (RIC) – were established in Greece on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. In 2021, on Samos, Leros and Kos, the RICs were converted into ‘Closed Controlled Access Centres of Islands (CCAC) and new EU facilities were established. 205 The CCAC in Samos was inaugurated on 18 September 2021 and the ones in Leros and Kos on 27 November 2021. 206 Reception and Identification Centres (RIC) and Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCAC) Hotspot Start of operation Capacity Occupancy as of 31 December 2025 Non-operational 3,881 Estimated 5,000 Non-operational 1,145 Non-operational 1,014 713 Estimated 1,800 Non-operational 3,664 1,796 3,455 1,363 2,152 14,166 1,771 6,788 Lesvos RIC (Moria) CCAC (Mavrovouni) CCAC (Vastria) October 2015 September 2020207 Under construction CCAC (Chalkios) CCAC (Akra Pachi – Tholos) February 2016 Under construction Chios Samos CCAC 18 September 2021 Kos RIC CCAC June 2016 27 November 2021 CCAC TOTAL 27 November 2021 Leros Source: National Coordination Centre for Border Control, Immigration and Asylum, National Situational Picture regarding the islands at eastern Aegean sea as of 31 December 2025, available at: https://tinyurl.com/4t2ke5jw. Local communities, as well as local authorities have expressed their opposition against the creation of the new CCAC because they do not consider them necessary and because they have strong concerns both related to the degradation of the islands and the rights of newcomers. In Lesvos and Chios, several protests took place and citizens attempted to disrupt the construction of the centres. 208 In Leros and Kos, criticism against the construction of the new facilities was expressed not only by local communities but also by the local authorities. The Mayors of both islands refused to attend the inauguration of the new centres. In 2021, the local authorities of both Leros and Samos challenged 209 – with no success210 – the construction of new centres. At the end of October 2024, the Head of the Region of North Aegean, 205 206 207 208 209 210 Ministerial Decision 25.0 / 466733/15-12-2021, according to which the RIC of Samos, Leros and Kos are renamed as ‘Closed Controlled Access Centres of Islands (C.C.A.C.I.)’, See also Article 8 par. 4 L.4375/2016, see also EU Commission, DG Migration and Home, Annual Activity Report 2020, https://tinyurl.com/4ctyva7w. MoMA, The Minister for Migration and Asylum, Mr. Notis Mitarachi, inaugurated the new closed controlled access centres in Samos, 18 September 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3DHQzOe; MoMA, N. Mitarachi: Today in Leros and Kos, as a few days ago in Samos and in a few months in Chios and Lesvos, we inaugurate the new Closed Controlled Access Centres, with a view to the future. Images we can all recall from the period 2015-2019 belong definitely to the past, 27 November 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3j61isb. A new facility in Kara Tepe (Mavrovouni) was established in September 2020 after Moria RIC burnt down. In November 2022, the RIC in Mavrovouni has been converted in CCAC. (Article 12, Presidential Decree 77/2022- Gov. Gazette 212/A/17-11-2022). Tvxs, Χίος – Λέσβος: Μαχητικό «όχι» των κατοίκων στις προσφυγικές δομές – φυλακές, 6 January 2022, available in Greek, https://tinyurl.com/27xjwmuw . CNN Greece, Προσφυγικό: Στο ΣτΕ ο δήμος Λέρου κατά της κατασκευής ΚΥΤ στο Λακκί, 4 January 2021, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3DFVT4y and ECRE, Greece: Significant Decrease of Arrivals – Chaos Continues, 15 January 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/37tbYPr. Δημοκρατική , ΣτΕ, Απορρίφθηκε η αίτηση του Δήμου Λέρου για ακύρωση της απόφασης κατασκευής της νέας κλειστής δομής, , 9 June 2023, available at, https://tinyurl.com/4mxvfhv4. 59