- Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-LESBOS UPDATE Afghan migrants land in Lesbos
- Date: 11th September 2015
- Summary: LESBOS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 11, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DINGHY FULL OF MIGRANTS ARRIVING AT THE SHORE OF SKALA SYKAMNIAS / MIGRANTS CHEERING MIGRANTS GETTING OUT OF DINGHY / MEN CARRYING CHILDREN FROM BOAT TO SHORE / YOUNG BOY SMILING TO CAMERA AFGHAN WOMAN HELPING ELDERLY WOMAN SITTING ON THE GROUND TO REMOVE HER LIFE JACKET ELDERLY AFGHAN WOMAN BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY RELATIVES AND BEING HELPED TO GET UP MAN HOLDING CHILD IN HIS ARM SAYING "THANK YOU, THANK YOU" AND FORMING VICTORY SIGN MIGRANTS, SOME STILL WEARING LIFE JACKETS, ON THE SHORE LITTLE GIRL IN HER MOTHER'S ARMS WOMAN DRINKING WATER (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHAN MIGRANT, HUSSEIN, SAYING: "My country, Afghanistan, 13 years war! 13 years war, yeah!" AFGHAN MIGRANT HUSSEIN TAKING HIS MOTHER ON HIS BACK AND CARRYING HER MIGRANTS WALKING ON DIRT ROAD YOUNG GIRLS WALKING AND SMILING AFGHAN MIGRANT HUSSEIN CARRYING HIS MOTHER ON HIS BACK (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHAN MIGRANT, SHAHRAM, SAYING: "In Afghanistan, war, all of provinces, because we coming here." JOURNALIST: "You can't stay in Afghanistan?" SHAHRAM: "No, I can't stay in Afghanistan." JOURNALIST: "Too dangerous?" SHAHRAM: "Yes, really dangerous, if I stay in Afghanistan, will be killed, die, everyone. Every day take place suicide attack in Afghanistan, every day, in every place." YOUNG AFGHAN MEN WALKING ON DIRT ROAD, FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN FOLLOWING BEHIND MIGRANT FAMILIES WALKING MAKESHIFT CAMP WITH MIGRANTS FROM AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN IN MYTILENE CITY PAKISTANI MIGRANTS TALKING AND LAUGHING AS THEY SIT ON THE GROUND MIGRANTS SITTING NEXT TO TENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTANI MIGRANT, MUZAMMAL ADDAS, SAYING: "Pakistan, we live in poverty, poor people. I want to work in this country." PAKISTANI MIGRANTS SITTING AND LYING ON THE GROUND MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING NEXT TO TENTS IN MAKESHIFT CAMP GIRL EATING APPLE VARIOUS OF AFGHAN MIGRANTS IN CAMP MIGRANTS SITTING IN FRONT OF TENTS / CLOTHES HANGING ON ROPE TIED TO TREES GIRL EATING PITA BREAD WOMAN HOLDING BAY IN HER ARMS / SMALL CHILDREN EATING PITA BREAD WOMAN WITH BABY YOUNG BOY EATING MIGRANTS AT CAMP
- Embargoed: 26th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7QOBH9YNK0RX62O4SBC9VD3XW
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Afghan migrants, including entire families, arrived on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos from nearby Turkey on Friday (September 11).
The migrants arrived on an overloaded dinghy on the shore of Skala Sykamnias, a beach located on the northern part of the island, at midday.
Hussein, travelling with his entire family including his elderly mother, said he was fleeing violence in his homeland.
"My country, Afghanistan, 13 years war! 13 years war!", he said upon arrival in Lesbos, before carrying his mother on his back as she was too weak from their long journey to walk.
From the same boat, Shahram, a young man travelling alone from Afghanistan, also said that the lack of security back home made him make take the journey to Europe.
"In Afghanistan, war, all of provinces," he said. "If I stay in Afghanistan, will be killed, die, everyone. Every day take place suicide attack in Afghanistan, every day, in every place," he said.
Once the dinghies reach the shores of Lesbos the migrants' journeys are far from over. They then have to make their way to the capital city, Mytilene, to register and then receive the papers that will allow them to travel to Athens.
All non-Syrian migrants are placed in the official camp of Moria or they set up tents in makeshift camps in public parks.
One Pakistani, Muzammal Addas, said he left his country for security and economic reasons, and was looking for a better future in Europe.
"Pakistan, we live in poverty, poor people. I want to work in this country," he explained.
The northern Aegean islands have become one of the main European Union gateways for tens of thousands of migrants making the short sea crossing from Turkey in flimsy dinghies.
The vast majority of arrivals head north to the border with Macedonia, where an official with the United Nations refugee agency said some 7,600 had crossed in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, far more than previously. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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