There appears to be a discrepancy between the number of migrants registered as arriving in Greece during 2021 and the numbers the Greek Minister for Maritime Affairs said were rescued by the Greek coast guard in the same year.
According to a blog post from the human rights organization Aegean Boat Report, this week 25 migrants from Afghanistan reached the Greek island of Lesbos, only to be rounded up and set adrift by armed "commandos." The group, which includes 17 small children, are now at a center in Turkey.
An Iranian man has been swept away and has drowned in a swollen river after violent storms raged across Greece. A woman is also missing, as the search for her continues on Thursday.
The body of a small child has been recovered from the sea off the Greek island of Naxos. The child is believed to have been involved in one of two major accidents involving migrant boats which took place just before Christmas in the Aegean.
Local residents of Lesbos and Chios have prevented a ship carrying building materials and machinery for the construction of migrant camps from docking. The Greek government plans to build "Closed and Controlled Access Centers" on both islands.
The number of refugees and migrants arriving on the Greek Aegean Islands in 2021 has reached its lowest level since the start of the so-called refugee crisis several years ago.
A joint announcement made by the Greek defense and migration ministries marked an end to the armed forces' involvement in managing the country's ongoing migration situation.
EU rules call for the nation where asylum seekers first enter the bloc to process requests for protection. But most applications in Germany come from people other EU countries failed to register, a media report says.
The number of refugees and migrants still on the Greek islands in the Aegean has decreased toward the end of the year. The conditions for the remaining migrants however remain precarious, according to various aid organizations.
Police in North Macedonia say that they have discovered 53 people crammed inside a truck. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly arrested during the police operation.
Greek authorities have charged three people with murder following the death of 16 migrants after a boat overturned in the Aegean Sea last Friday.
Pope Francis has called on countries to share responsibility on migration and refugee issues, and engage in dialogue to solve conflicts throughout the globe.