The influx of undocumented refugees and migrants into Greece from neighboring Turkey continues with a total of 212 landing on the islands of the eastern Aegean in the last three days.
According to the latest government figures, out of 212 new arrivals, 89 landed on Lesbos, 68 on Chios and 55 on Samos.The latest arrivals have brought the total number of migrants and refugees staying at reception centers and camps on the islands close to 10,000 - with 4,378 people on Lesbos, 3,461 on Chios and 2,095 on Samos.
Tensions continue to run high, particularly in Lesbos, as local authorities struggle to cope with the sheer numbers.On Monday, a crowd of migrants staged a protest outside the asylum application center at the notorious Moria reception center in Lesbos, demonstrating against the slow processing of their applications for asylum as well as the poor living conditions.
In related developments on the mainland, Greece has once again requested to be exempt from the obligation of enforcing systematic checks on its borders. According to local media reports, the Greek police sent a document last week to the European Commission, the European border agency Frontex and EU member states, asking for an 18-month suspension of the obligation to implement new and stricter border checks.
This is the second time Greece has made such a request in four months. The European-wide rules were introduced in April for the Schengen Border Codes. Greek authorities, however, have cited infrastructure problems and increased traffic at the country's 12 airports due to the tourist season. Police are expected to continue targeted checks of individuals suspected of human trafficking or terrorism.