EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-PIRAEUS SHIP Thousands of migrants arrive on Greek mainland from Lesbos
Record ID:
141249
EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-PIRAEUS SHIP Thousands of migrants arrive on Greek mainland from Lesbos
- Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-PIRAEUS SHIP Thousands of migrants arrive on Greek mainland from Lesbos
- Date: 10th September 2015
- Summary: PIRAEUS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) PASSENGER FERRY CARRYING SOME 2,500 MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES APPROACHING PORT MIGRANTS ON SHIP'S UPPER DECKS NEAR GREEK FLAG COAST GUARD AT DOCK SHIP PREPARING TO DOCK MIGRANTS ON SHIP'S DECK MAKING VICTORY SIGN MIGRANTS ON SHIP'S DECK/ GIRL WAVING MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING, HOLDING CHILDREN AND LUGGAGE, AND HEADING TO THE BUS/MAN CARRYING LITTLE BOY AND WAVING MIGRANT GETTING OFF SHIP, WHEELING ANOTHER MIGRANT'S WHEELCHAIR MIGRANTS HEADING TO BUS/ WOMAN HOLDING LITTLE BOY AND WAVING MIGRANTS HEADING TO BUSES/ WOMAN CARRYING BABY IN CARRIER (SOUNDBITE)(English) REFUGEE FROM SYRIA, DARA, AGED 34, SAYING: "So, so difficult. In Mytilene, in Mytilene island there were no difficulty, Greece government helped us and gave us water and food." MIGRANTS MOVING NEAR BUS (SOUNDBITE)(English) REFUGEE FROM ALEPPO, SYRIA, AHMET, AGED 22, SAYING: "Because here it's not only refugees from Iraq or Syria, it's many accumulation, Afghan, Pakistan, Iran, Africa, it's all the people will go because anything in them country, because them country is gone with the war." MIGRANTS HEADING TO BUS/ BUS DOORS OPENING/ MIGRANTS GETTING ON BUS (SOUNDBITE)(English) REFUGEE FROM SYRIA, MAHER, AGED 28, SAYING: "Actually we try to, also to, to getting in another place in the Europe, actually, we know in the Greece have some problems, and we have kids, as you see, and we have to try to find a good life after we seen that war and problems in our country and we hope to, God help us." FAMILIES OF MIGRANTS WALKING/ MORE MIGRANTS GETTING OFF SHIP IN BACKGROUND CHILDREN WITH LUGGAGE AND ESCORTED BY ADULTS (SOUNDBITE)(English) REFUGEE FROM AFGHANISTAN, ATEFA, AGED 21, SAYING: "We have to come here and we have to, now, again, we should go to the other countries because this isn't okay for people, for foreign people. Just this." MIGRANTS WAITING FOR BUS BUS DRIVING OFF CARRYING MIGRANTS/ MORE MIGRANTS WAITING IN PORT
- Embargoed: 25th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA34RS98QXNWZH225VA2ACLLICK
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A passenger ferry with 2,487 migrants onboard, most of them Syrians, arrived at Piraeus port near the Greek capital Athens on Thursday (September 10), having travelled from the island of Lesbos.
The Greek government is speeding up the relocation of migrants in an effort to relieve the island from mounting pressure on its infrastructure.
El. Venizelos is one of three ships chartered by the interim government and tasked with ferrying migrants to the Greek mainland.
Despite the difficult and volatile conditions in Lesbos, where hygiene levels have decreased over recent weeks, one migrant arriving at Piraeus said the situation was improving in the port of Mytilene.
"In Mytilene, in Mytilene island there were no difficulty, Greece government helped us and gave us water and food," said Dara, a 34-year old refugee from Syria.
The vast majority of those arriving at Greece's mainland are hoping to move on to other European countries and, once disembarked, almost immediately head north, creating a bottleneck at the border with Macedonia.
Migrants face further difficulties crossing the Hungarian border with the central European country building a fence along its southern border with Serbia, Hungary says the fence is necessary to protect the European Union's passport-free Schengen zone.
Maher, a 28-year old refugee from Syria, fled his war-torn country together with family and friends.
"Actually we try to, also to, to getting in another place in the Europe, actually, we know in the Greece have some problems, and we have kids, as you see, and we have to try to find a good life after we seen that war and problems in our country and we hope to, God help us," he said.
A refugee from Afghanistan, Atefa, said she also intended to leave Greece and continue towards northern Europe, where she hopes to complete her journalism studies.
"We have to come here and we have to, now, again, we should go to the other countries because this isn't okay for people, for foreign people. Just this," she said.
A total of 10,000 people were evacuated from Lesbos between Monday (September 7) and Wednesday, according to local media.
EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker appealed to Europeans on Wednesday (September 9) to share out a wave of refugees crowding in on their frontiers but promised, too, tougher border controls to keep unwanted migrants out. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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