Ten migrants posing as a volleyball team have been detained at Athens airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” after attempting to travel to Switzerland illegally.
The group arrived at the airport wearing matching sports uniforms, carrying two volleyballs and two sports bags.
At the passport control, the customs officer suspected fraud and the team was arrested.
Police said the men – thought to be Syrian nationals – were trying to travel on Ukrainian passports that did not belong to them. The passports were registered as stolen and lost.
Police investigation found out that the ten “volleyball” men did not belong to any sports club and their aim was to leave Greece using the above mentioned passports.
The men were arrested and taken to the public prosecutor in Athens.
The group was trying to find to Zurich in hope to get jobs, Greek media reported.
Many migrants seek Greece as a stop over before they try to make it to other European countries.Greece is a frontier for many migrants attempting to make it to other countries.
Islands in the Eastern Aegean Sea are sending alarm signals after in increase of refugees and migrants flow since the last weeks.
2,300 new arrivals were registered in the last five days, form Monday, Sept 16, until Friday, Sept 20. Of them, 1,383 people landed on Lesvos, 564 on Samos and 345 on Chios.
According to latest data, 70,000 asylum applications by Afghan and Syrian nationals were pending by September 3.
In an extraordinary meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and several ministers decided to continue the measures decided in August. These include the decongestion of the refugee facilities at Greek islands, increase of staff and vessels of the Coast Guard in the Eastern Aegean as well as increase of NATO and Frontex engagement in the region in the eastern Aegean Sea.
10 points for creativity.
Does not make sense. Switzerland is in Schengen, hence there is no passport control at all.
they still can do random checks even if Schengen