Follow us

Stranded migrants in Greece now more than 50,000

Stranded migrants in Greece now more than 50,000

The Greek government has announced that there are now 50,411 migrants and refugees in Greece. More than 13,000 still at the Idomeni camp close to the FYROM border.

THETOC TEAM
ΓΡΑΦΕΙ: THETOC TEAM

The Greek government has announced that there are now 50,411 migrants and refugees in Greece. More than 13,000 still at the Idomeni camp close to the FYROM border.

According to the data, which were made public Monday, 28,593 migrants and refugees are currently in northern Greece, 13,711 in Attica, 5,538 on the islands and the rest scattered around the country.

A total of 1,662 migrants have landed on Greek islands near Turkey since a landmark EU-Turkish deal on curbing the influx took effect on Sunday, a Greek coordination panel said Monday.

Half of the migrants -- 830 -- arrived on Chios and 698 others on Lesvos, two islands in the northeast Aegean which lie close to Turkey, according to the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens' response to the migration crisis.

The continuing influx "creates a problem, and raises questions about the intent of all parties" in the agreement, SOMP spokesman Giorgos Kyritsis said.

Officials from Turkey and Greece are set to discuss how to implement last week's deal on migrant repatriation.

Under the agreement between the EU and Turkey, migrants arriving in Greece are now expected to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected.

But Greece still lacks the manpower to process all the new asylum-seekers.

Authorities will discuss the deal which says that for every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU.

But questions remain over some points, including how the migrants will be sent back or what will happen to those thousands of people already in Greece. Officials have said the returns to Turkey are unlikely to start before 4 April.

Additionally, some 2,300 experts, including security and migration officials and translators, are yet to arrive in Greece to help enforce the plan.

"[The deal] is in force. Its practical implementation remains to be seen," government migration spokesman Giorgos Kyritsis was quoted by AP as saying.

Sources: AFP, BBC

Οι πιο πρόσφατες Ειδήσεις

Διαβάστε πρώτοι τις Ειδήσεις για ό,τι συμβαίνει τώρα στην Ελλάδα και τον Κόσμο στο thetoc.gr

Πού θα απολαύσεις την Πανσέληνο του Σεπτεμβρίου και το "ματωμένο φεγγάρι" στην Αθήνα

Η τελευταία πανσέληνος του καλοκαιριού είναι εδώ (7/9), κι εμείς σου προτείνουμε τις καλύτερες εμπειρίες για να την υποδεχθείς με τον πιο ρομαντικό τρόπο.