Greek coast guard rescue 1,161 migrants

Agencies, Athens: Greece�s coast guard yesterday said it had rescued more than 1,000 migrants from the eastern Aegean Sea since Friday. The coast guard said it rescued 1,161 people in 37 search-and-rescue operations off the islands of Samothraki, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Agathonisi and Farmakonisi. Greece is facing a massive migrant crisis, with more than 55,000 people, many from Syria, reaching Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast since the beginning of the year. The vast majority don�t want to stay in Greece but to head on to more prosperous European Union countries. Greece has long called for the other EU countries to share the burden of the crisis. On Lesbos, some 25,000 refugees and migrants have descended so far this year, local officials say�a massive increase that has piled pressure on debt-ridden Greece. �From January 1 we have received 25,000 migrants compared to 8,500 last year,� the island�s coastguard chief Nikos Varthis said. The island also known as Myteline has been hard-pressed to give temporary shelter to the migrants until they can be documented and then moved to Athens for asylum applications.

Greek coast guard rescue 1,161 migrants

Agencies, Athens: Greece�s coast guard yesterday said it had rescued more than 1,000 migrants from the eastern Aegean Sea since Friday. The coast guard said it rescued 1,161 people in 37 search-and-rescue operations off the islands of Samothraki, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Agathonisi and Farmakonisi. Greece is facing a massive migrant crisis, with more than 55,000 people, many from Syria, reaching Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast since the beginning of the year. The vast majority don�t want to stay in Greece but to head on to more prosperous European Union countries. Greece has long called for the other EU countries to share the burden of the crisis. On Lesbos, some 25,000 refugees and migrants have descended so far this year, local officials say�a massive increase that has piled pressure on debt-ridden Greece. �From January 1 we have received 25,000 migrants compared to 8,500 last year,� the island�s coastguard chief Nikos Varthis said. The island also known as Myteline has been hard-pressed to give temporary shelter to the migrants until they can be documented and then moved to Athens for asylum applications.