The Greek opposition party Syriza has criticized the Greek government's policies on refugees and migrants. It accused the government of cutting spending and closing migrant facilities, and also attacked the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to 60 migrants remain missing after a boat capsized on Lake Van in south-eastern Turkey over the weekend. So far, only six bodies have been recovered from the site.
New findings suggest Greek authorities are illegally deporting refugees across the Turkish border. As part of an international research team, DW identified and met some of the victims who were forced back.
Authorities in Greece say they are worried that migrants and refugees are gathering on Turkey’s coast with plans to cross the Aegean Sea. As many as 2,000 migrants who were quarantined in camps in Turkey have reportedly been taken by bus to coastal towns near the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios.
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.
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.
A Turkish court has sentenced three suspects to 125 years in prison each for the death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi. The toddler drowned along with four others in 2015, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.
Thousands of people are continuing to camp out along the land border between Greece and Turkey, where migrants on the Turkish side have clashed with Greek authorities as well as local residents. Some Afghan migrants have contacted InfoMigrants with accounts of their experiences. It has not been possible to verify these accounts.
The German government has issued a strong rebuttal to Turkey's claim that 'the door is open' to Europe. Thousands of people have rushed to the land and sea borders between Turkey and Greece, but few have managed to cross.
The UN migration agency, IOM, is handing out meal boxes and other basic supplies to migrants gathered at Turkey‘s western border with Greece. There are concerns for thousands of people camping out in the region in near-zero temperatures, but the IOM says it is still assessing the situation.
The governments of both Austria and Hungary have issued firm statements following Turkish announcements that it has opened its borders to allow migrants and refugees on towards the EU. Both Austria and Hungary say they will defend their borders to prevent a repeat of what happened in 2015 when hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees entered the EU via the Balkan route.
Migrants stranded in the Turkish province of Edirne at the border with Greece face "death and desperation," according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).