On the small island of Kos, those who survive the unsafe Mediterranean Sea journey often times end up camping outside. Athens says with so many migrants arriving in Greece first, it cannot go through all the applications, BBC reported.
Advertisement
Dawn breaks on the Greek holiday island, and new visitors arrive.
The fishermen who were reportedly present at the site of the incident told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News that the Greek forces sank the inflatable migrant dinghy by deliberately “piercing it with a lance”.
Mohammad Ali, a 36-year-old Syrian law graduate who was a merchant in the town of Idlib before fleeing, is waiting in the park with his wife, two young sons and other family members for a second attempt to flee to Europe.
On Sunday, their children bathed in the sea, wearing the life jackets they used when crossing on inflatable rafts.
Then they walk past the tent city that extends along the Kos beachfront. “But the political people here, they did not have any organization to take care of so many of us”.
They are thought to have suffocated after inhaling fumes from fuel after the vessel took on water. However, their numbers have surged to the extent that they could soon overrun local police and health services, paid for by hard-working Greek taxpayers. Only Syrians were reportedly allowed to board the boat due to their current asylum status in Europe. One eyewitness involved in rescue operations said: “Most can not pay the fine”.
“No one will stay here”.
The UN refugee agency’s division for Europe said last week that 124,000 refugees and migrants had landed in Greece since the beginning of the year. Because the sea was unsafe. “Why would we put ourselves in this situation if we weren’t afraid for our lives back in our home?” “We don’t know when to leave”, he said, frustrated.
Greek authorities who have been struggling to cope as more than half of the 250,000 people crossing the Mediterranean this year have landed on their shores, according to the worldwide Organisation of Migration. “What we have seen was not anything acceptable in terms of standards of treatment”, said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR director for Europe after visiting the Greek islands of Lesvos, Kos and Chios.
Rachel Miller, of Cinderhill, is asking for donations to help her on her mission to provide bottled water, clothes, underwear, toothbrushes and sanitary products for the adults and children.
Migrants set up camp on a beach in Kos, Greece, a spot also popular with tourists.
Advertisement
“They come over here just to claim free healthcare for when they need their stomachs pumped at 4 in the morning”. Boat after boat coming, with no signs of stopping.
