Number of sea arrivals in Greece hits half million mark
UNHCR warns of continued chaos unless reception process in the Aegean Islands is strengthened
GENEVA, Oct 20 (UNHCR) - Sea arrivals so far this year to Greece have now passed the half-million mark with the arrival yesterday on the Aegean Islands of nearly 8,000 people, the UN refugee agency said today.
It added that the latest arrivals had taken the overall total to some 502,500 for this year and said that the spike in arrivals in Greece was sharply increasing reception pressures on the islands. Many of the refugees and migrants are desperate to move quickly onwards to Western Europe, fearing that borders ahead of them will close.
"It is of utmost importance here, as in other parts of Europe, that reception conditions be adequate to the task. Without this essential element, the relocation programme agreed by Europe in September is in serious peril and may fail," UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a press briefing in Geneva.
The total number of refugees and migrants to reach Europe so far this year via the Mediterranean is now over 643,000, UNHCR figures show. As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 27,500 people on the Aegean Islands, either awaiting registration or onward transport to the mainland.
Additional police had to be called in on Sunday and Monday (October 18 and 19) to provide security on the Islands, where frustration amongst refugees and migrants boiled over at a reception centre on Lesvos last week, leading to the evacuation of UNHCR staff and the temporary suspension of processing.
Borders along the Balkan routes have recently reopened. On the Serbian border with Croatia, some 3,000 people were left waiting in the rain in the past two days without shelter and with minimal assistance on hand.
"UNHCR staff and staff of our partner organizations provided what support they could at such short notice including food, water, and blankets. But many people, including the elderly, pregnant women and several physically handicapped people, were soaked through and instances of hypothermia were reported," Fleming added, noting that similar scenes were reported on the Croatia-Slovenia border.
While conditions at some crossing points in the Balkans remain difficult, movement has resumed, with 4,300 people arriving in Austria from Slovenia on Monday. Meanwhile, in Austria and Germany, tens of thousands of refugees and migrants are sleeping in tents and temporary shelters because of accommodation shortages.
At least 19 people have died crossing the Aegean to Greece from Turkey in the past nine days in five separate incidents, almost half of them over the weekend, UNHCR said. Infants and children were among those who have perished
Refugees that UNHCR officials spoke to over the weekend reported that smugglers were offering discounts rates for crossings in bad weather and packing more people onto boats for the crossing, which frequently proves fatal.
At least 123 people have died or gone missing in Greek territorial waters so far this year. In total, at least 3,135 have perished in the Mediterranean to date in 2015.
"We are concerned at the potential for this number to rise further as people try to beat the onset of winter and fears of new border-closures. UNHCR urges that search and rescue operations be further strengthened in this area to reduce risks," Fleming said.
To address the current situation in Europe, UNHCR says various stabilization measures are needed. These include strong support to countries hosting the vast majority of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees, an information campaign informing of the dangers of the sea journey, and the development of legal pathways to seek protection in Europe.
"In countries of secondary movement in Europe, significant efforts must be made to develop a robust reception and registration capacity in order for the relocation programme to work," Fleming added.
Related news and stories
Ukraine's refugees find long-term support in Europe's host countries
Earthquake survivors in Türkiye count the devastating toll
Twelve years on, Syrian refugees face deepening debt and hunger
Twelve years on, Syrian refugees face deepening debt and hunger
Visiting earthquake-ravaged areas of Türkiye and Syria, UNHCR's Grandi urges more support for survivors trying to rebuild
UNHCR, IOM welcome Spain's expedited resettlement of Syrian refugees from Türkiye in earthquake aftermath
Your search for « greece » matched 2816 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 3 of 112 pages.
-
Field Trips
... David Morrissey in Jordan, 2014 David Morrissey in Greece 2015... -
Greece: UNHCR concerned at drop in recognition rate
10 Dec 2002 ... UNHCR is concerned that an extraordinary drop in the numbers of refugees being recognised in Greece may reflect a serious problem in the Greek asylum procedure. Although, on the face of it, Greece has ...... -
Greece receives boatload of 270 asylum seekers
11 Sep 2001 ... ATHENS, Sept 11 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency welcomed what it called the "excellent reception" given by Greece to a boat carrying more than 270 people who arrived on the Greek island of Evia on ...... -
Greece: UNHCR urges access to stowaways in Piraeus
13 Mar 2007 ... UNHCR is urging the Greek authorities to allow the urgent disembarkation and grant access to the ... It arrived in Piraeus on Wednesday 7 March. UNHCR and the Greek Refugee Council had access to the ...... -
Greece: UNHCR pleased by welcome for boat people
11 Sep 2001 ... UNHCR is pleased to see the excellent reception given by Greece to a boat carrying more than 270 people who arrived on the island of Evia last Wednesday. The Greek authorities responded quickly and ...... -
UNHCR Country Operations Plan 2006 - Greece
1 Sep 2005 ... COUNTRY OPERATIONS PLAN OVERVIEW Country: Greece Planning Year: 2006 1 2006 COUNTRY OPERATIONS PLAN UNHCR REPRESENTATION GREECE Part I: OVERVIEW 1) Protection and socio-economic operational ...... -
Greek couple offers a welcome haven to Syrian family
27 Apr 2016 ... Greece, April 27 (UNHCR) -The experience of one refugee mother from Syria, who fled war in her home country with her two young children, is typical of many Syrian families who have arrived in Greece ...... -
Greece
10 Oct 2022 ... Panagiotis MITARACHI Thank you Chair, High Commissioner, Greece fully aligns with the EU statement ... Europe can do more to relocate people in need, and Greece will participate in such efforts. We have ...... -
Greece: UNHCR thanks authorities for allowing stowaway disembarkation
16 Mar 2007 ... UNHCR is very grateful to the Greek authorities for having allowed the disembarkation of 16 ... It arrived in Piraeus on Wednesday 7 March. UNHCR and the Greek Refugee Council had access to the ......