Greece moves hundreds of asylum-seekers from crowded island camp in emergency measure
Record ID:
1429706
Greece moves hundreds of asylum-seekers from crowded island camp in emergency measure
- Title: Greece moves hundreds of asylum-seekers from crowded island camp in emergency measure
- Date: 2nd September 2019
- Summary: LESBOS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING ACROSS PORT IN LONG LINES ENTERING FERRY CARRYING THEIR BELONGINGS ON THEIR SHOULDERS, PUSHING BABY CARRIAGES POLICE OFFICERS AND COAST GUARDS STANDING ON SIDES OF PLATFORM WATCHING MIGRANTS ENTER FERRY CARRYING BELONGINGS ON THEIR SHOULDERS VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS INCLUDING CHILDREN DISEMBARKING FROM BUS THAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE PORT MIGRANT FAMILIES SITTING IN PORT WAITING TO BOARD ARM OF CHILD IN MOTHERS LAP BEHIND RAILING AT PORT BOY SITTING IN MOTHER'S LAP BEHIND RAILING AT PORT WOMAN HOLDING CHILD IN HER ARMS AS SHE SITS ON GROUND AT PORT WAITING TO BOARD BOY IN HER ARMS FAMILIES SITTING ON WRAPPED BAGS OF THEIR BELONGINGS ON GROUND OF PORT, VARIOUS OF WOMAN ON GROUND WITH BOY, BABY SLEEPING IN CARRIER ON GROUND MIGRANTS STANDING AROUND FERRY WAITING TO BOARD MIGRANTS STANDING ON DECK OF SHIP WATCHING PORT BELOW, A NEON SIGN HANGING BELOW THEM READING (English) "WELCOME ON BOARD" MIGRANTS ON DECK VARIOUS OF FERRY LEAVING AS MIGRANTS STAND ON DECK LESBOS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) DOZENS OF TENTS SET UP BY A REFUGEE AGENCY IN THE FOREST NEXT TO THE OFFICIAL MORIA CAMP TO HANDLE THE OVERFLOW OF MIGRANTS VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SLEEPING ON THE GROUND ON BLANKETS WRAPPED IN BLANKETS IN THE FOREST MAKESHIFT CAMP VARIOUS OF WOMAN SQUATTING IN FRONT OF A TENT WASHING POTS IN A PLASTIC BUCKET CHILD SITTING IN FRONT OF TENT, CLEANING CUPS AND UTENSILS ON A WOODEN PLANK NEXT TO HER CHILDREN PLAYING AROUND A TENT TENTS IN A ROW, PEOPLE MOVING ABOUT TENTS WOMAN SITTING WASHING CLOTHING WITH HER HANDS IN A PLASTIC BUCKET MEN SITTING IDLY ON WALL NEXT TO TENTS, TENTS BELOW
- Embargoed: 16th September 2019 12:45
- Keywords: Greece migrants Lesbos Turkey asylum arrivals island
- Location: LESBOS, GREECE
- City: LESBOS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUYTJ5Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greece began moving hundreds of asylum-seekers on Monday (September 2) from a camp on the island of Lesbos that holds almost four times the number of people it was built for.
More than 600 people, mostly families, boarded a passenger ship for another camp on the mainland in northern Greece, and more were due to leave Lesbos later in the day.
The move comes after more than a dozen boats with around 600 migrants arrived on the island on August 29 from Turkey, the first simultaneous arrival of its kind in three years, and prompting the government's Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence to hold an emergency session and announce plans to also tighten its border controls and speed up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers.
Over 11,000 refugees and migrants, most of whom have fled war or poverty in the Middle East, Asia or Africa, are holed up at Lesbos' official Moria camp, which has a capacity of about 3,000. Moria has been criticised by humanitarian organisations for its squalid living conditions and there have been incidents of violence. Many migrants have spilled out across the forest surrounding Moria in makeshift camps.
All of Greece's five formal island camps are over capacity.
Greece is Europe's main gateway for Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi asylum-seekers. A deal between the EU and Turkey in 2016 all but cut off the flow.
About 7,000 people landed on Greece's shores last month, the highest number since the deal was signed.
(Production: Alkis Konstantinidis, Vassilis Triandafyllou, Deborah Kyvrikosaios) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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