The Greek government has today sent another 75 refugees to the mainland to relieve the crowded refugee camps on the islands in the eastern Aegean. The authorities said that since Monday, a total of 1,088 people have been brought aboard ferries to the mainland.
They were distributed to various camps across the country, reported the Greek radio (ERT). According to government figures, 20,000 people are to move from the islands to the mainland by the end of the year.
34,000 refugees on islands
In northern Greece, residents on Wednesday had a bus with refugees, which should be housed in the village Vrasna, pelted with stones. The people were eventually housed yesterday in central Greece, as ERT further reported.
By April, the number of refugees living in the islands had dropped to 14,000. Since then, the influx into the EU country Greece has increased again. On the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos are currently waiting almost 34,000 people. This is the highest number since the entry into force of the EU-Turkey Refugee Pact in March 2016.
