Daily Report
Arrivals and Departures
The procedure to return persons from Greece to Turkey has been temporarily halted as an increased number of people on Chios and Lesbos have expressed interest in applying for asylum in Greece during the past few days. As of yesterday, out of approximately 6,000 people who arrived on the Greek islands after the EU-Turkey agreement of March 20, at least 2,870 expressed interest in asylum. Greek authorities confirmed that they will not be returned as their applications need to be filed and assessed, a process which may require a lengthier period of time than initially envisioned. This is largely due to the shortage of staff required. Of the 400 staff promised by the EU, only 30 had arrived in Greece so far, said Maria Stavropoulou, the director of Greece’s Asylum Service.
Condition of People
UNHCR staff in Eidomeni, where thousands of persons are staying in dire conditions near the border crossing between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, report that refugees were showing a greater interest in the EU relocation programs than they had in previous days.
Greek Alternate Defence Minister, Dimitris Vitsas, announced that Piraeus port will be decongested by the end of the week.
There are currently 4,720 people at the port. "There are currently 2,600 empty spots in accommodation centers and another 10,000 are being built, most of which will be ready by next Sunday," the minister added.
