Greece has announced that new hotspots for asylum seekers on the islands of Lesbos and Chios are set to open in February and April of next year. Greek authorities are also expanding a hotspot near the Evros river on Greece's land border with Turkey.
Turkish President Erdogan has again accused Greece of "illegal and reckless pushbacks" of migrant boats in the Aegean. Meanwhile a group of Green MEPs said Greece erected a "wall of lies" to deny its systematic pushback practice.
Migrant charity Aegean Boat Report claims that the Greek coast guard has pushed back scores of migrants in a rubber boat off the island of Rhodes. A video posted by the NGO allegedly shows masked men redirecting the rubber boat as people can be heard shouting in distress.
Greece has called on the European Union to work together with Athens to address the issues of irregular migration and human trafficking.
The Turkish coast guard has said it recovered a total of six migrant bodies in the Aegean Sea. Rescue operations are ongoing for one missing person off the coast of Izmir.
Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi says that Athens is ready to stop Turkey sending any "refugee caravans" from their neighboring country into Greece as tensions continue between the two nations over migration issues.
Five children and a woman have reportedly drowned in the Aegean Sea, while five people remain missing. Turkish authorities have accused Greek officials of pushing the migrants back towards Turkey.
Migrants in Turkey have told ANSA they were refused entry by Greek authorities as they were trying to reach the island of Lesbos. Illegal pushbacks against migrants at the hands of Greek authorities are well-documented.
Around 150 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, landed on the Greek island of Kythera on Wednesday. They were traveling on two sailboats and are believed to have been heading for Italy.
Turkey has claimed that it has rescued a total of 130 migrants over the last 48 hours. It says the migrants had been trying to reach Greek islands in the Aegean and were pushed back by Greece.
The Greek police announced they had dismantled an international crime gang focused on smuggling migrants through the country. Raids took place last week in the capital Athens and more details emerged over the weekend.
Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Sunday it had filmed footage of Greek pushbacks. The news was reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency.