EUROPE-MIGRANTS/LESBOS DINGHIES Hundreds of migrants land on Greek island in one hour

Record ID: 143053

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/LESBOS DINGHIES Hundreds of migrants land on Greek island in one hour
  • Date: 22nd August 2015
  • Summary: SKALA SYKAMINIAS, LESBOS, GREECE (AUGUST 22, 2015) (REUTERS) BEACH ON NORTH OF LESBOS ISLAND VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ON INCOMING DINGHY WEARING LIFE JACKETS AND WAVING DINGHY CARRYING MIGRANTS ARRIVING ON BEACH / MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING FROM DINGHY, CARRYING LUGGAGE MIGRANT FROM SYRIAN MAKING "OK" GESTURE AND SPEAKING IN ARABIC VARIOUS OF NEWLY A
  • Embargoed: 6th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADQEE31RVOZ08OHTU0FRPOJW87
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: One inflatable dinghy boat after another arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday (August 22) each carrying dozens of migrants including women and children.
    Taking advantage of calm seas, hundreds disembarked within the span of one hour on the northern coast of the island which is the closest point with Turkey.
    A Reuters witness saw eight inflatable dinghies each carrying between 30 and 60 people land, all within the space of 60 minutes, and more could be seen arriving in the distance.
    Families struggled to climb the hill above the beach to reach safety, with one man stumbling as he carried a baby in his arms.
    A migrant from Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan who paid 1,500 dollars to make the one hour crossing from Turkey was overcome with emotion when he described the journey he had been on.
    "When we came here we made a travel from Afghanistan, first we come to Iran, then we come to Turkey, and then Greece, so we see lots of things, lots of dead bodies, lots of - don't ask about," said Habbibullah.
    Two to three thousand refugees are arriving on Lesbos daily, more than a three-fold increase on average daily numbers recorded in July according to the International Rescue Committee.
    One reception centre on the island was holding about 2,000 people, while an estimated 4,000 were sleeping rough on the streets.
    Refugees have typically headed northwards by train or bus to the city of Thessaloniki, hoping for passage into Macedonia and from there to central Europe.
    Some 3,000 refugees had amassed at the border region on Friday, where Macedonian police tear-gassed hundreds attempting to cross earlier in the day.
    Greece, mired in its worst economic crisis in generations, has been found largely unprepared for a mass influx of refugees, mainly Syrians.
    Arrivals have exceeded 160,000 this year - triple the arrivals of 2014 - which have exposed massive shortages in Greece's available facilities to refugees, but also a striking discord in the European Union on handling the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.
    Those who do arrive on the Greek mainland get little guidance from Greek authorities.
    As part of the 'processing' process, refugees get a temporary resident permit which can range from 30 days to up to six months, which would allow them to apply for some form of civil protection status.
    The permit does not allow travel to other countries.
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