Portugal vows to take in 1,000 refugees from Greek camps
The Greek Migration Ministry said Friday it had concluded a bilateral agreement with Portugal to relocate 1,000 people with a right to asylum. The first phase will start with 100 persons.
aegean sea
2 bodies wash up on shores of Lesbos
The Greek coast guard said it recovered the bodies of a girl and a woman on the shores of the island of Lesbos Sunday. The child is believed to have drowned in a migrant boat accident last month.
Two children die trying to reach Samos island
A boat carrying migrants has sunk off the Greek island of Samos. Greek authorities said three people drowned, including two small boys. Nine others were rescued.
Turkish coast guard saves 69 migrants
The Turkish coast guard said Monday that they rescued 69 migrants just off the west Turkish coast, among them were 36 children.
More than 40 migrants rescued, one girl dead in Aegean Sea
The Turkish coastguard has reportedly rescued 46 migrants from a sinking rubber boat in the Aegean Sea. The body of a young girl was recovered.
Migrants continue to Cyprus, Aegean Sea
A total of 75 migrants were rescued in the waters near Cyprus as well as the Aegean Sea on Monday. Crossing into Europe along the eastern Mediterranean Sea is still a popular route for asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
For African migrants, Greek islands often become a dead end
On the Greek island of Samos, thousands of migrants and refugees from Africa feel trapped. They are disappointed with the long asylum procedures, leaving them in limbo in overcrowded camps amid horrid living conditions.
Beyond capacity, Greek island refugee camps get more packed
The already inhumane conditions in migration hotspots on Greek islands have been worsening for months. Here's what options exist to ameliorate the situation — and why they don't seem to take.
Overcrowding on Samos, Greece
More than 4,000 refugees and migrants currently reside on the Greek island of Samos, and the refugee camp with a capacity for only 700 people is bursting. Poor hygiene and harsh weather conditions are posing a threat to the migrant population. The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR warns the situation could escalate to become as catastrophic as on the neighboring island of Lesbos.
Number of asylum seekers in Greece approaching 75,000
There are nearly 75,000 refugees and asylum-seekers currently in various reception centres across Greece. The Greek government said it plans to transfer up to 6,000 people from the Greek islands to the mainland to improve their living conditions, but many observers are skeptical.
Greece's migrant 'Hero of the Aegean' has passed away
Greece is mourning the loss of Hellenic Coast Guard lieutenant, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, also known as 'The Hero of the Aegean' by Greeks for his role in saving the lives of over 5,000 refugees. He died Monday of a heart attack.
Winter may threaten migrant lives in Greek camps, NRC
The Norwegian Refugee Council is calling on Europe to increase its support for refugees in Greece before winter arrives and threatens their lives in the camps, which have been determined to be insufficient to face the cold.