Two Afghan men have been found guilty by Greek courts and sentenced to jail for six years and nine months each. The men are alleged to have taken part in riots on Tuesday at a migrant detention center in northern Greece. They deny any wrongdoing.
Greece has lifted a controversial suspension of asylum applications imposed in response to an influx of refugees crossing the border from Turkey. However, all asylum services will remain frozen for at least a week due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic is dictating Greek asylum policy. The coronavirus forced Turkish President Erdogan to cease blackmail attempts at the border with Greece — but it has afforded Athens the opportunity to push through plans.
Europe's biggest asylum seeker camp of Moria, on the Greek island of Lesbos, was designed for 3,000 refugees but houses 20,000. Given the coronavirus, evacuating it is paramount, says migration expert Gerald Knaus.
According to the Turkish government, some 6,000 migrants waiting at the Turkish-Greek border to cross into the European Union were sent to cities inside the country. The move is reportedly one of several measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The head of Europe's border agency Frontex has said that even with the coronavirus crisis, the pressure on Europe's borders will "remain high." His statement comes as the Greek authorities reported more unrest at its border with Turkey and a UN official criticized Greece for refusing to let people through.
On March 18, the Turkish government announced that it would be closing its borders with EU countries Greece and Bulgaria. The reason: The Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement came a day after talks between some EU leaders and the Turkish president, where more help was promised for Turkey to support migrants and refugees.
The leaders of Germany, Turkey, Britain and France held a video call to try to stop a new EU migration crisis. Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to keep to an earlier pact that pays Turkey for taking back migrants.
Turkish government sources say the aim of the video call is to rework a 2016 deal that obliges Turkey to prevent refugees entering the EU in return for financial aid.
Greece has seen an influx of migrants and refugees since Ankara opened its borders nearly two weeks earlier. The Turkish president has compared Greece's treatment of migrants to the Nazi regime.
The EU should deliver on visa liberalization and trade to keep the refugee deal in place, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said. Ankara recently stated it would no longer stop refugees from going to Greece.
Greece has said more than 1,600 people tried to enter the country from Turkey between Sunday and Monday morning. The Greek government, meanwhile, has decided to construct a new migrant camp to house arrested migrants who crossed into the country irregularly.