- Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE Greece urges EU help with migrant crisis
- Date: 7th August 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF INTERIOR MINISTRY SIGN ABOVE BUILDING READING (Greek): 'INTERIOR MINISTRY' CONVOY OF CARS ARRIVING, GREEK PRIME MINISTER ALEXIS TSIPRAS EMERGING FROM VEHICLE, WALKING TO MINISTRY, WAVING AT CROWDS THAT ARE SHOUTING SUPPORT / IMMIGRATION MINISTER TASIA CHRISTODOULOPOULOU WELCOMING TSIPRAS, ENTERING MINISTRY T
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4NE3Z6BFS90OAB54D6O753JGK
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greece's infrastructure cannot handle the thousands of migrants landing on its shores from places like war-torn Syria and Afghanistan and needs European Union help, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday (August 7).
At a meeting with ministers dealing with the influx, Tsipras questioned whether the EU would step in to give Greece assistance.
"Now is the time to see if all the wishful thinking and the nice words on solidarity are only limited to harsh conditions of lending, or if they are true," said Tsipras.
The United Nations refugee agency earlier called on Greece to take control of the "total chaos" on Mediterranean islands where thousands of migrants have landed.
EU member states must also do more to share the burden of Greece, where 50,000 people arrived in July alone, said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR director for Europe, after visiting the Greek islands of Lesbos, Kos and Chios.
Tsipras said Greece was facing a crisis it was unable to handle on its own.
"At this moment, Greece is facing a crisis within a crisis, the flow (of immigrants) is beyond what our state infrastructure can handle," he said.
"If this is not dealt with at a European level and there is no substantial help, you all understand that the situation is very hard to resolve," Tsipras added.
Greece, along with Italy, has been on the frontline of a huge wave of migrants seeking safety and a better future in Europe.
The UNHCR estimates Greece has received more than 107,000 refugees and migrants this year, more than double its 43,500 intake of 2014.
But Greece's economy is falling into recession again after having only just recovered from six years of depression brought on by its debt crisis.
It is currently negotiating with the EU and the International Monetary Fund terms of a third bailout of as much as 86 billion euros to help stave off financial collapse. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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