Friday 20 / September / 2024
Geneva: The number of migrants and refugees arriving in Italy and Greece since the start of the year has risen sharply compared to the same period 2015 and hundreds are stranded at European borders due to rising restrictions, aid agencies said on Tuesday.
At least 102,500 people have landed on Greek islands including Samos, Kos and Lesbos this year, and 7,500 in Italy, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.
"We've reached that figure in two months as opposed to last year when it was reached by the summer," IOM spokesman Itayi Viriri told a news briefing.
In 2015, the 100,000 mark was not reached until the end of June, according to IOM figures. The vast majority of the latest arrivals are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, IOM said.
In a separate statement, the United Nations refugee agency called on European countries to take a "unified approach" and denounced restrictions limiting access for asylum seekers, including some based on nationality.
Referring to caps imposed by Austria and Slovenia, the UNHCR said: "These newest restrictive measures risk violating EU law and undermine efforts for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to deal with the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe."
Most of the refugees are fleeing war and persecution and deserve protection, including Syrian refugees from fierce fighting in Aleppo, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.
"And yet, with every passing week, it appears some European countries are focusing on keeping refugees and migrants out more than on responsibly managing the flow and working on common solutions."
Last week Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia agreed to jointly profile and register refugees at the border between Macedonia and Greece, which had resulted in "increased protection risks", UNHCR said.
Austria and Slovenia's daily cap on asylum seekers and their joint restrictions with the other three countries had left nearly 700 people, mainly Afghans, barred from crossing from Macedonia into Serbia, UNHCR said.
Macedonia's own restrictions also left hundreds stranded at border crossings from Greece, where police started removing them on Tuesday, sources said.
More than 410 have died so far this year at sea, mostly on the route from Turkey to Greece, the IOM said.
The migrants had squatted on rail lines in the Idomeni area on Monday after attempting to push through the border to Macedonia, angry at delays and additional restrictions in crossing. They were expected to be taken to relocation camps inside Greece.
Greek police and empty buses had entered the area before dawn, a Reuters witness said. In one area seen from the Macedonian side of the border, about 600 people had been surrounded by Greek police, the witness said.
There were an estimated 1,200 people at Idomeni, in their vast majority Afghans or individuals without proper travel documents. A crush developed there on Monday after Macedonian authorities demanded additional travel documentation, including passports, for people crossing into their territory.
Some countries used by migrants as a corridor into wealthier northern Europe are imposing restrictions on passage, prompting those further down the chain to impose similar restrictions for fear of a bottleneck in their own country.
But there are concerns at what may happen in Greece, where an influx continues unabated to its islands daily from Turkey. On Tuesday morning, a further 1,250 migrants arrived in Athens by ferry from three Greek islands.
"It's a difficult management exercise. I don't know if the planning is adequate. The flows are increasing, more ships are coming," Piraeus mayor Yannis Moralis told Mega TV during a visit at the port's station where migrants had gathered.
He said the port's terminals were full, mostly with women and children. "It's a difficult situation, not only for Piraeus but for the country as well."
Some of the migrants had bus tickets to Idomeni, but it was unclear if they would be permitted to travel north from Athens.
More than 700 migrants were rescued from six leaky boats in the sea between Tunisia and Sicily on Tuesday and four were found dead, the Italian navy said.
The navy said one of its ships went to help three boats, recovering 403 survivors and the four bodies. Another ship rescued 219 people from two vessels and a third coordinated the rescue of 105 migrants from their sinking boat.
The navy did not say what nationality the migrants were nor did it give any other information about their identities.
Meanwhile, a French judge toured a crowded shanty town known as "the jungle" near the northern port of Calais before her court hears an appeal on Tuesday against a government decision to demolish half of the camp for Migrants trying to reach Britain.
The administrative tribunal in regional capital Lille was to decide whether closing part of the site would violate human rights after several local charities and Migrants requested a temporary injunction to halt the planned evacuation.
Judge Valerie Quemener viewed the jumble of tents and wooden shacks and was shown plans for the partial dismantling as well as a site meant to accommodate some of the evacuated Migrants in converted shipping containers.
She met several charity representatives but declined to speak to journalists.
Refugees living in the south part of the camp were ordered last week to leave the area before 8pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday after which authorities will be empowered to remove remaining tents and trash, if necessary by force.
The interior ministry says the move will affect 800 to 1,000 people but local activists said at least 3,400 Migrants including women and young children will have to clear the area.
