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GREECE HAS SENT a ship to the resort island of Kos to speed up the registration of hundreds of Syrian refugees following mounting tensions over a huge influx of new arrivals.
The Eleftherios Venizelos docked in Kos in the afternoon and will be moored for about two weeks during which authorities will register newcomers to the island, said Major General Zakharoula Tsirigoti, the head of the Greek police’s immigration department.
But the Syrians, most of whom are living rough – either sleeping in tents or on the beach – will not be hosted on the ship.
“It’s only for the screening and briefing of the Syrians,” Tsirigoti told reporters.
She said she expected registration on the boat to start “hopefully tomorrow, or if we manage to prepare everything, tonight.”
The ship will not be used to register any Iraqis, Afghans or any of the other new arrivals on the island, who Tsigiroti said were “immigrants, not refugees.”
Earlier this week, about 2,000 refugees and immigrants were relocated to a football stadium.
Overwhelmed police beat them with truncheons and sprayed fire extinguishers during a scuffle on Tuesday.
- ‘Long-term solution needed’ -
At the start of the week, there were about 7,000 migrants and refugees on the island, which is home to some 30,000 people.
According to the officer, some 2,500 refugees and migrants now remain, with many taking regular ferry services to Athens once they are registered.
“Tonight, we are expecting some 1,900 Syrians to leave the island,” Tsirigoti said.
From Athens, most of the migrants and refugees hope to leave Greece for countries further north, including Germany and Sweden.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) criticised the government’s initiative to register the Syrians on the ship.
“What we want is a long-term solution, which is reception,” said MSF’s humanitarian affairs officer Constance Theisen.
“If this boat is only temporary, it’s ridiculous,” she told AFP.
Kos Mayor George Kiritsis said Greece cannot deal with the crisis alone, however.
“The European Union has to help financially (with) the immigration problem,” Kiristis told reporters at the port.
“Also the European Union must understand that at some point, the countries have to share the people that are coming here, or else the problem won’t be solved. The people are still going to be coming here to find a better place,” he added.
Some 124,000 refugees and migrants landed on the Greek islands during the first seven months of the year — up 750 percent from 2014, according to UN figures.
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We’ve just exited a level 5 lockdown and people are being told by the government to…. “stay away from crowded shops”…. obviously shops will be thronged with people now after being cooped up for a month not being able to buy a shirt or a dress or god forbid….a tie…also deemed non essential when I went looking for one in Tesco. That statement is what my late grandfather would call….complete bolloxology.
@Billy Big Baws: And the first pop up I see on my device as I wake is from RTE about QUEUES forming outside shops this morning , and all this before 7 am.
Maybe I’m wrong but I think putting a senior civil servant out in front of the media and telling us how to behave is bizarre ,what qualifies her to pontificate to the Irish people, has she more qualifications than George Lee by any chance?
Christ..It will.be like the last helicopter out of Saigon when the shops open .
@Donal Desmond: Miss Saigon live from Mary Street !
I love how they chose a photo of Penneys for this article. You can guarantee they will have a queue from Mary St to the Spire tomorrow…
@Dobby Dooo Dooo: i am in the queue already
@Dobby Dooo Dooo: already a queue before 7 am .
@Terry Cahill: People going in for “essentials” and coming out with bags full of cr@p they don’t need…
How do people stay away from crowded shops, if they are already in a crowded shop :-/
@Kevin O’Brien: and if we all shopped off-peak…
Me alarm clock set, mask ready to go, hand sanitizer in me pocket, not taking the bus going to walk it. Penny’s here i come. NOT.
@Paul Gorry: as a penneys employee I think your in the minority….unfortunately. they should of sent us for zookeeper training during the lockdown.
@deisecelt: “should of” ?
Reading down through the articles here on the Journal & all I’m seeing is the word “avoid”. Avoid public transport, avoid crowded shops, avoid putting on special offers. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
@Kevin O’Brien: in other words avoid picking up the contagious virus and passing it on to others.
The shops are now open to help the economy back on it’s feet and keep people in jobs.
Also don’t go to the shops.
Is this the same headline i read last March, without the Christmas bit?
@Paul Gorry: Reduce reuse recycle….
Consume! Consume! Consume! Retail shopping slaves to the system of controlling your life. Stress over getting stuff and overstretch those cards…… Sad really. I hope everyone eventually wakes up and stops the unnecessary stresses around this time of year. Remember all those toys that will be gathering dust in a month or 2 and all that food that goes to waste cost hours of your life to pay for. Right now off to ques outside Smyths…… Lol
People are already queueing so best of luck with that advice.
@Ed: Hope they’re doing what most people are doing and queuing 2 m apart, outdoors.
but the retailers say the complete opposite, pack in and everyone get out and shop till ye drop, who should we listen to. :-)
Stay away from crowded shops????its christmas time
Ya, but you see “Christmas” you cannot avoid these things. The air must be thin up there.
I will wait a few days and then stroll the shops at my own leisure. I got 95pct of my Christmas shopping done online and feel good about not being frantic this month. I did miss the in-person Black Friday sales this year, to be honest.
have your say