Passenger ferry Blue Star 1 along with a Hellenic Coast Guard boat rescued 61 refugees between Chios and Lesvos islands.
According to the coast guard, Blue Star 1 and a coast guard patrol boat received a signal about people at sea between the two islands. The ferry arrived first and collected 35 refugees from a nearby dinghy that was half-sunk.
On the dinghy there were several women and children clinging for life. The coast guard boat arrived shortly after and rescued another 26 refugees. They were all transferred to Mytilene to receive first aid.
Meanwhile, at 7 am on Monday, passenger ferry Eleftherios Venizelos docked at Piraeus Port carrying 2,492 refugees and migrants from the Lesvos port of Mytilene.
Interim Deputy Minister on Immigration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas stated on Sunday that “the situation is manageable but also close to getting out of control.” He said that the priority is to decongest the island of Lesvos by accelerating the identification processing.
Mouzalas visited refugee camps at Kara Tepe, Moria and Mytilene Port and assured local authorities that there is more staff arriving at the island to tackle the processing issue. Sixty men from the Greek Police and Hellenic Coast Guard arrived at the island yesterday and more equipment for the identification and documentation of the refugees and migrants is expected to arrive on Monday.
A new identification center will be established at the northern entrance of the town of Mytilene at the old Kourtzi military camp, while the Greek Army is activated to bake and provide bread to the refugees. Also, two daily routes of Eleftherios Venizelos will be carrying a total of 5,000 refugees from Lesvos to Piraeus.
Greece applies for emergency EU help
Greece says it has requested emergency European Union assistance to deal with the massive influx of refugees and migrants who reach its eastern islands daily on frail boats from nearby Turkey. The Interior Ministry said Monday it has applied for activation of a European mechanism for civil protection assistance, which it said would be of “crucial importance” in improving migrants’ reception facilities – which are, at best, rudimentary.
A ministry statement said Greece has provided detailed information on what it needs in terms of medical and pharmaceutical supplies, equipment for reception centers, clothing and personnel.
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