The merchant marine ministry said the migrants were picked up by a Turkish-flagged cargo ship off the island of Zakynthos, which is popular with British holidaymakers.
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The sailboat was abandoned at sea. No one has been reported injured in the blaze. Their nationalities were not immediately available.
Thousands of migrants were forced to flee to safety on September 19, 2016 when their camp on Lesbos was badly damaged in a fire apparently set on goal, police said.
With the flames fanned by strong winds, up to 4,000 people are believed to have fled to the surrounding fields, the police source said. No-one is said to have been hurt in the blaze.
Tensions have boiled over at overcrowded camps on Greece’s islands as the slow processing of asylum requests adds to frustration over hard living conditions there. There is organized accommodation for 3,500.
Contributing almost $9 billion to humanitarian aid during the ongoing Syrian crisis, Turkey’s aid for Syrian refugees has been 20 times more than the aid received from worldwide organizations, according to the Prime Ministry Disaster & Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). “Some people feel they don’t have enough information”, he said.
Aid organisations laid out 2,500 lifejackets symbolizing refugee crossings to Europe in a demonstration outside the British parliament on Monday timed to coincide with a United Nations summit on the worldwide migrant crisis. Nine migrants suspected of starting fire have been arrested, authorities said Tuesday. Thousands remain stuck in the Balkan countries.
A general view of migrants at the detention centre in Lesbos on Monday. Around 150 children were evacuated and directed to a more secluded area.
The organization is also suggesting that countries step up global cooperation and is urging the worldwide community to “significantly increase its effort in terms of resettlement”. These centres started out as temporary reception areas for new arrivals, but since a deal between the European Union and Turkey came into force in March, new arrivals have been housed in the centres until their asylum applications are assessed.
The refugees have also complained over what they described as bad living conditions in the center. Slovenia and other countries along the route closed their borders for migrants in March.
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The fire brigade was investigating the cause of the fire, the official said.
