Greece's migration minister has ordered asylum-seekers at a camp on the island of Leros to return earlier each evening and pledged to ease overcrowding at camps on Leros and nearby Kos before winter.
Thanos Plevris announced the earlier curfew during a visit to the Leros facility, saying it responded to a request from local authorities to bolster residents' sense of security.
Mr. Plevris said the government would speed up deportations using charter flights for people whose asylum claims have been rejected. It will also offer cash incentives for voluntary returns. More than 6,000 people have been returned so far, he said, and the government aims to raise that number.
The minister also highlighted funding for island communities that have long borne the brunt of migration. Leros has received 18 million euros ($21 million), with about 6 million euros more planned for two desalination plants to tackle water shortages.
On Kos, Mr. Plevris opened three covered sports halls and said more than 10 million euros in projects had been approved.
The visit comes amid rising arrivals and deadly crossings.
Twelve migrants, including a baby, died off the eastern Aegean islands of Lesbos and Samos on Monday.