About 500 people have passed through the dawn today with plastic boats on the islands of the North Aegean.
In Lesvos, which has received the most flows, six boats with about 300 passengers have passed so far. In Chios we had four incidents with about 120 passengers. And finally in Samos two incidents with about 80 passengers. All of them are transferred to the Reception and Identification Centers of the islands in order to be counted and identified.
In Lesvos, the vast majority of those who arrive are in a visibly impoverished state, barefoot and with nothing but the clothes they wear. Most of them are Africans who, as they say, paid the slave traders who brought them from 1.500 to 2.000 US dollars or the corresponding amount in valuables. They say they have been living for months in areas of Istanbul and three days ago they were notified by slave traders to get ready to leave for Europe. Overcrowded buses and cars were moved to wooded areas near the shores where they waited for the weather to improve, which has been very bad in recent days.
In the morning, as they say, they moved to the shores where boats were waiting for them, on which they boarded and left. According to them, many uniformed men, many of them armed, were present during their departure to the coast.
The Coast Guard, from the first moment, with its boats was on the sea border. Executives addressed, in implementation of the joint statement of the European Union and Turkey, to their counterparts of the Turkish Coast Guard in order to pick up the occupants of the boats who were in Turkish territorial waters. However, according to eyewitnesses from the Greek side, the Turks boarding the coasts, when they appeared, did not do the slightest thing, even mocking the Greek officers shouting "Good luck".
The transport of refugees and migrants arriving is done by buses owned by the Coast Guard. While applying corona protection rules, disposable masks are distributed, which they immediately wear.
A gathering of citizens prevents the transfer of the newly arrived immigrants to Moria
The entrances of the road leading to the Reception and Identification Center of Moria, in Panagiouda and Larsos are currently closed (at 14.00 on Sunday, March 1) by groups of residents from the villages of Moria and Panagiouda but also from the city of Mytilene. The gathered people do not allow buses of the Coast Guard to transport the refugees and immigrants who arrived today at the KYT. They demand the immediate decongestion of Moria.
Officials of the Mytilene Municipal Authority with the mayor Strati Kyteli, the regional authority of the North Aegean with the regional governor Konstantinos Moutzouris and the deputy of the New Democracy Charalambos Athanassiou are at the gathering place.
The mayor of Mytilene invites the citizens of the area and the city of Mytilene to gather at the entrances of the road that leads to KYT. "This disgrace must end now," said Mr Kytelis.
Citizens prevent the disembarkation of migrants in the port of Thermi
A group of citizens from the area of Thermi has currently blocked the port of Thermi, not allowing the disembarkation of refugees and migrants led by a boat of the Coast Guard there. About 50 people are on board, including many children.
Some of those gathered harassed the head of the UNHCR office in Lesvos, while journalists and international media photographers have also been harassed. The municipal councilor of Mytilene, leader of the "People's Rally" faction, also tried to intervene.
Source: RES-EAP