Migrant arrivals up six-fold in Greece, says UN

AFP, GENEVA: Debt-laden Greece has seen a six-fold rise in the number of migrants landing on its shores over last year, the UN said yesterday. "In recent weeks, sea arrivals from Turkey have been averaging some 600 people a day," said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman of the UN refugee agency UNHCR. "In the first five months of 2015, we've seen over 42,000 people arriving by sea to Greece" against 6,500 in the same period in 2014, she said. The total number of arrivals last year was 43,500. There has been a surge in migrants trying to reach Greece's Aegean islands from the Turkish coast recently, mirroring the swell in perilous crossings from north Africa to Italy. Late last month, the European Union asked member states to admit 40,000 asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea over the next two years to help overwhelmed Italy and Greece. She said conditions were "dire" for the new arrivals with the three existing reception facilities vastly overstretched and "no regular provision of food or drinking water." "In some of the islands, local volunteers have organised themselves spontaneously and have asked local restaurants and bakeries for food donations to distribute to the refugees who are sleeping rough or in unused buildings," Fleming said. The refugee agency called on "EU institutions and agencies to further enhance the support provided to Greece" to cope with the influx. She said the numbers were expected to swell even more as it was just the start of summer, a season when Mediterranean crossings surge. The refugees cross the eastern Aegean Sea from Turkey in small, flimsy boats and inflatable dinghies. They are landing in as many as 15 different Greek islands or being rescued at sea by the Greek Coast Guard. The largest arrivals have been on Lesvos, Chios and Samos and the Dodecanese Islands, particularly Kos and Leros. Smaller numbers of refugees have also been crossing through Greece's land border with Turkey at Evros. The large numbers of refugees arriving has led to bottlenecks, as the authorities (mainly local police) struggle to identify, register and fingerprint them. The three existing reception facilities in Lesvos, Chios and Samos are severely overcrowded.

Migrant arrivals up six-fold in Greece, says UN

AFP, GENEVA: Debt-laden Greece has seen a six-fold rise in the number of migrants landing on its shores over last year, the UN said yesterday. In recent weeks, sea arrivals from Turkey have been averaging some 600 people a day, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman of the UN refugee agency UNHCR. In the first five months of 2015, weve seen over 42,000 people arriving by sea to Greece against 6,500 in the same period in 2014, she said. The total number of arrivals last year was 43,500. There has been a surge in migrants trying to reach Greeces Aegean islands from the Turkish coast recently, mirroring the swell in perilous crossings from north Africa to Italy. Late last month, the European Union asked member states to admit 40,000 asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea over the next two years to help overwhelmed Italy and Greece. She said conditions were dire for the new arrivals with the three existing reception facilities vastly overstretched and no regular provision of food or drinking water. In some of the islands, local volunteers have organised themselves spontaneously and have asked local restaurants and bakeries for food donations to distribute to the refugees who are sleeping rough or in unused buildings, Fleming said. The refugee agency called on EU institutions and agencies to further enhance the support provided to Greece to cope with the influx. She said the numbers were expected to swell even more as it was just the start of summer, a season when Mediterranean crossings surge. The refugees cross the eastern Aegean Sea from Turkey in small, flimsy boats and inflatable dinghies. They are landing in as many as 15 different Greek islands or being rescued at sea by the Greek Coast Guard. The largest arrivals have been on Lesvos, Chios and Samos and the Dodecanese Islands, particularly Kos and Leros. Smaller numbers of refugees have also been crossing through Greeces land border with Turkey at Evros. The large numbers of refugees arriving has led to bottlenecks, as the authorities (mainly local police) struggle to identify, register and fingerprint them. The three existing reception facilities in Lesvos, Chios and Samos are severely overcrowded.