A ship carrying 600 asylum seekers has departed from Lesbos to a closed camp in northern Greece amid the coronavirus crisis.
The migrants arrived at the port of Mytilene in the Greek island of Lesbos, ahead of their departure with the ship, named ‘Aqua Blue’.
Clashes broke out overnight on Greece’s border with Turkey after approximately 500 migrants attempted to break down a border fence and enter Greece.
Migrants arriving at the port of Mytilene to be transferred to the closed camp in northern Greece. An estimated 2,000 migrants are still camped on the Greek-Turkish border, weeks after Turkey declared its borders to Europe open
Approximately 600 asylum seekers, who arrived on the island after March 1, departed on the ship named ‘Aqua Blue’ to mainland Greece today. The migrants arrived at the port of Mytilene in the Greek island of Lesbos
Workers are seen wearing protective clothing and face masks as they direct migrants onto the ‘Aqua Blue’ ship amid the coronavirus crisis. The country is battling to control coronavirus among tens of thousands of migrants in overcrowded camps
Migrants arrive at the port of Mytilene in Lesbos today ahead of their transfer to the closed camp. Clashes broke out overnight on Greece’s border with Turkey after approximately 500 migrants attempted to break down a border fence into Greece
Asylum seekers board a ferry at the port of Mytilene, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, today. The ferry boat is carrying them to a mainland detention centre after some 600 people reached Greece’s Eastern Aegean Sea islands
Migrants wear face masks amid the coronavirus crisis and carry bin bags full of belongings as they arrive at the port. The nationwide overcrowded camps situation has been recently termed a ‘health bomb’ by a government spokesman
The ferry boat is carrying asylum seekers to a mainland detention centre after around 600 arrived in recent days, following Turkey saying it would no longer stop migrants on its territory from heading towards Greece, prompting a crisis between the two regions.
Greek police said they used tear gas to repel the push to break down the fence south of the Kastanies border crossing. They said Turkish authorities also fired tear gas at the Greek border.
An estimated 2,000 migrants are still camped on the Greek-Turkish border, weeks after Turkey declared its borders to Europe open and encouraged migrants and refugees living in the country to try crossing into European Union member Greece.
Tens of thousands of people headed to the border despite Greece’s insistence that its eastern border, which is also the EU’s external border, was shut.
An asylum seeker wearing a face mask as protection against the spread of the coronavirus disease arrives on a police bus at the port of Mytilene to board a ferry that will transfer him and other migrants to the mainland
Two migrants wearing protective face masks wait to board a ferry at the port of Mytilene on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos. On Wednesday, Turkey said it was closing its six land and sea border crossings with Greece and Bulgaria
Workers in protective clothing, face masks and goggles are pictured unpackaging crates of bottled water. An estimated 2,000 migrants are still camped on the Greek-Turkish border, weeks after Turkey declared its borders to Europe open
Migrants wearing protective face masks prepare to board the ferry that will transfer them to the mainland, carrying sleeping bags, bin bags full of belongings and cardboard boxes, after disembarking from buses
Asylum seekers pictured boarding the ferry. Tens of thousands of people headed to the Greek border despite Greece’s insistence that its eastern border, which is also the EU’s external border, was shut
The move came after months of threats by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would open his borders and allow millions of refugees into Europe unless the EU provided more support for refugee care in Turkey.
The EU says it is adhering to a 2016 deal with Turkey under which it provides billions of euros in funds in return for Turkey caring for more than 3.5 million refugees from neighbouring Syria.
On Wednesday, Turkey said it was closing its six land and sea border crossings with Greece and Bulgaria in an effort to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, but a senior official said the measure did not amount to an end of the policy of not preventing migrants from leaving Turkey.
The borders were sealed to people and not the transportation of goods, the official added.
The violence on the border came hours after Mr Erdogan held a four-way video conference with the leaders of France, Germany and the UK to discuss the migrant crisis.
A statement from Mr Erdogan’s office said the four leaders also discussed ways of resolving the Syria conflict and providing humanitarian aid in Syria’s troubled Idlib province.
Migrants queue besides a coach while waiting to board the ferry to mainland Greece. It follows Greek police saying they used tear gas to repel the push to break down the fence south of the Kastanies border crossing
Five asylum seekers look towards the camera while waiting to board the ferry, all of them wearing protective face masks. Violence on the border came after Mr Erdogan held a four-way video conference with the leaders of France, Germany and UK
Migrants embark the ferry in the Greek port, with one worker seen handing over a bottle of water to one of the asylum seekers. No infections have been confirmed at any of the camps, though the extent of testing remains unclear
A riot policeman wearing a face mask guards as migrants wait in a queue to board the ferry. The violence at the border has added to concerns in Athens over the high number of migrant arrivals from Turkey
Asylum seekers arrived on the island after March 1. More than 9,300 people have reached Greece from Turkey so far this year – mostly arriving on the eastern islands – although the rate has slowed over the past week
Tuesday’s teleconference between Mr Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Boris Johnson was arranged after the European leaders cancelled plans to travel to Istanbul over the coronavirus crisis.
The violence at the border has added to concerns in Athens over the high number of migrant arrivals from Turkey – at a rough average of 100 per day on the Greek islands so far this year – adding to severe overcrowding at refugee camps there.
Greek authorities on Wednesday imposed movement restrictions, lasting for at least a month, at the island camps as part of public safety measures for the coronavirus pandemic.
Migrants on Lesbos and four other islands will only be allowed to visit towns on the islands in small groups and for limited periods, the Migration Affairs Ministry said. The ministry said it was also speeding up plans to build detention facilities on the islands.
No infections have been confirmed at any of the camps, though the extent of testing remains unclear.
More than 9,300 people have reached Greece from Turkey so far this year – mostly arriving on the eastern islands – although the rate has slowed over the past week.