Two boat crossings, organised by the European border agency, FRONTEX, from Lesvos to the Turkish coast have been cancelled on Tuesday as the Greek authorities realised that most of the migrants due to be deported to Turkey have applied for asylum.
According to reports, 599 out of the 1,185 migrants held at Moria camp have already applied for asylum.
Maria Stavropoulou, director of Greece's Asylum Service, told state TV that some 3,000 people held in deportation camps on the islands are seeking asylum, with the application process to formally start by the end of the week.
She says asylum applications typically take about three months to process, but would be "considerably faster" for those held in detention.
Under international law, asylum seekers cannot be deported until their application is reviewed.
Migrants keep coming
In the meantime, at least 200 migrants and refugees disembarked on the islands of the eastern Aegean over the last 24 hours.
Athens news Agency reports that 187 people arrived at Lesvos and 20 at Samos.
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