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WORLD NEWSMonday 21 March 2016
Migrants keep arriving in Greece despite deal to return them
DEMETRIS NELLAS Volunteers help migrants and refugees on a dingy as they arrive on the shore of the northeastern would-be migrants to
DOMINIQUE SOGUEL Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on Sunday, March 20, 2016. Greece had been inter-
Associated Press cepted in a coastal Turkish
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Associated Press town. The private Dogan
Hundreds of mostly Syrian agency said the migrants
asylum-seekers continued for asylum back to Turkey. Turks to visit Europe and a yet. were caught in the town of
to arrive in Greece by sea As part of the deal, Euro- re-energizing of the coun- The EU-Turkey deal “is in Dikili, a main crossing point
Sunday despite the start pean nations will then ac- try’s EU membership bid. force. Its practical imple- to Lesbos.
of an international agree- cept refugees directly from Turkey, which is already mentation remains to be Amid all this, Greece is still
ment to send migrants Turkey, starting April 4. The hosting 2.7 million refugees seen,” Kyritsis said, adding relocating migrants from its
back to Turkey. hope is to discourage asy- from war-torn Syria, has that Greece had done its islands to temporary refu-
While the deal between lum-seekers from trying to been a primary depar- part to prepare the tem- gee camps on the main-
the European Union and make the dangerous trip ture point for Europe, while porary camps where the land. A ferry carrying 1,169
Turkey is officially in ef- across the Aegean Sea on Greece has borne the migrants will be processed. migrants arrived Sunday at
fect, the process for de- their own in flimsy boats. brunt of arrivals. More than Those who arrived in the port of Elefsina, west of
porting migrants has yet Turkey is also required to 1 million migrants have ar- Greece up until Sunday Athens. Another ferry car-
to be worked out. Greek step up efforts to crack rived in Europe over the morning will be subject to rying some 1,300 migrants
and Turkish officials are down on illegal migration. past year. the old rules, which say that was on its way to Elefsina
set to hold discussions on The deal puts Ankara on Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokes- for every Syrian returned to from Lesbos.
Monday. And Greece is the fast track to get $6.6 bil- man for the Greek govern- Turkey, another Syrian will The arriving refugees were
still awaiting the arrival of lion in aid to deal with refu- ment’s Refugee Crisis Coor- be resettled in an EU coun- put on buses headed for a
2,300 European experts, in- gees on its territory. It could dination Center, said none try, Kyritsis said. camp near the northwest-
cluding translators, to help also lead to unprecedent- of the 2,300 experts prom- A Turkish news agency re- ern city of Ioannina. The
carry out the agreement. ed visa concessions for ised by the EU has arrived ported Sunday that 320 camp will contain 420 tents
In the meantime, the EU that can house eight to 10
said any new arrivals in people each.
Greece from now on will “I don’t want (to) go back
be subject to possible de- to Turkey, because I would
portation. be back to the work and
At least 875 new refugees the hard life. Difficult life. I
— mostly Syrians, along wish (to) continue my race
with Iraqis and Afghans — to Europe to see my family
landed on four of Greece’s and continue my studies,”
Aegean islands close to Syrian refugee Amdelsher
the Turkish coast between Abdel Hannan said as he
Saturday evening and was getting on a ferry to
daybreak Sunday. Two Syr- take him from Lesbos to
ian men were found dead the Greek mainland.
of undetermined causes On the Greek border town
aboard a boat arriving of Idomeni, where about
on the island of Lesbos, 10,000 migrants who were
and two girls were found refused entry into Mace-
drowned east of Rhodes, donia are stranded, the
officials said. mayor criticized what he
The EU-Turkey plan, agreed said are plans to make the
to on Friday, aims to halt sprawling, muddy, make-
smuggling by sending mi- shift encampment perma-
grants who do not qualify nent.
