Greece moves more migrants to mainland as arrivals increase

Record ID: 1438072

  • Title: Greece moves more migrants to mainland as arrivals increase
  • Date: 22nd October 2019
  • Summary: ELEFSINA, GREECE (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FERRY WITH MIGRANTS ARRIVING AT PORT FERRY DOCKED VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS DISEMBARKING FROM FERRY, CARRYING BAGS ON THEIR SHOULDERS SLEEPING BABY IN STROLLER COMING OFF FERRY VARIOUS OF TAHIR ABDURAHMAN, FROM SYRIA, STANDING AMONG A GROUP OF MIGRANTS OUTSIDE FERRY (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAHIR ABDURAHMAN, AGED 23, FROM SYRIA, SAYING: "So bad. I am very happy because I am here, because Samos - so, so bad." VARIOUS OF FEMALE MIGRANTS WITH THEIR CHILDREN STANDING AND SITTING AT PORT TOGETHER VARIOUS OF FATHER HOLDING A BABY BABY VARIOUS OF WOMAN SITTING ON THE GROUND WITH HER TEN-DAY-OLD BABY IN HER ARMS BABY YAWNING VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS IN WHEELCHAIRS GATHERED OUTSIDE FERRY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAMUEL LEONARD QUARTEY, AGED 24, FROM GHANA, SAYING: "I am very happy because the situation there was very terrible, so I am very happy I am here." VARIOUS OF QUARTEY AND OTHER MIGRANTS SITTING ON THE GROUND AND STANDING NEXT TO BUSES AT THE PORT VARIOUS OF A LITTLE GIRL SITTING ON THE GROUND AT THE PORT STARING INTO CAMERA VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS ENTERING BUS MAN SITTING IN BUS LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW HOLDING HIS PERSONAL DOCUMENTS MAN IOM WORKER CARRYING THE BELONGINGS OF A FAMILY AS THEY WALK TOGETHER AWAY FROM FERRY BOY SMILING AS HE WALKS, GIRLS SMILING AS THEY WALK (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOHAMMAD HOSSEINI, AGED 24, FROM AFGHANISTAN, SAYING: "I was waiting about five months for just visiting the doctor. This is the first problem. The second - we was waiting to take a water a lot of time, about two hours, three hours, we are waiting to take the breakfast." VARIOUS OF A MAN STANDING IN A BUS CRADLING A BABY AND ROCKING IT BUS DOOR CLOSING GIRL WAVING AND SENDING KISSES FROM CLOSED WINDOW OF BUS NEXT TO HER MOTHER BUS LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2019 11:40
  • Keywords: Greece migrants Samos ferry Elefsina camps
  • Location: ELEFSINA, GREECE
  • City: ELEFSINA, GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B26HF0N
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greece moved hundreds of asylum-seekers to the mainland on Tuesday (October 22) to alleviate islands struggling with overcrowded migrant camps and after sea arrivals increased in recent months.
    Some 697 migrants and refugees arrived at Elefsina port near Athens from Samos island, officials said. Earlier, 120 people arrived from Lesbos island. The migrants are to be settled in camps and other accommodation on the mainland.
    The Samos migrants camp, built for about 650 people, now houses more than 5,700, government figures show. Last week a fire in the camp sent people fleeing and destroyed tents and containers. On Monday local Samos residents staged a demonstration on the island. Weeks earlier one woman died in another fire in the camp on Lesbos.
    The transfers are part of a stricter migration policy announced by the government which will also include plans to deport 10,000 people who do not qualify for asylum by the end of 2020.
    Some 33,700 refugees and migrants are in camps operating above capacity on the islands, according to U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.
    Greece is struggling with the biggest resurgence in refugee and migrant flows across the Aegean Sea from Turkey since 2015. More than 12,000 people arrived in Greece in September.
    (Production: Vassilis Vafidis, Idyli Tsakiri, Deborah Kyvrikosaios)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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