Tag Archives: islands

The US Embassy in Athens has issued a Security Alert on Wednesday over the new migration crisis. The Embassy highlights as locations where US citizens should be on alert the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos as well as the Evros land border. Particularly about Lesvos and the Evros region, …

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The Greek Army will continue military exercises with live ammunition also on Tuesday, March 2, 2020, state broadcaster ERT TV reported late on Monday. Military exercises using live fire will be held in sea areas to the East, including east of the Eastern Aegean islands, between the island of Samothrace …

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In an open letter to European Commission, European Council and heads of member states, over 70 NGOs demand EU support at Greek Border. They call for immediate action for the decongestion of the Aegean Islands following escalating violence and worsening humanitarian conditions for asylum seekers. 75 NGOs have now signed …

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Migration Crisis Made in Turkey: More than 500 people have arrived on the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos by Sunday noon, while more are reportedly on the way to Greece. The plastic boats started leaving from six different locations in west coast of Turkey since the early morning hours …

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Main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said the government was to blame for the “conditions of chaos” and “insecurity” in Greece, following the ugly scenes and the excessive use of violence by riot police on the islands of Lesvos and Chios. “Today we are talking about the social security bill,” …

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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned migrants not qualifying for asylum to not come to Greece.  At the same time, he stressed the government’s determination to proceed with the construction of new closed facilities for migrants and asylum seekers on the northeastern Aegean islands. “The construction of modern, guarded facilities …

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The Regional government of the North Aegean Region, the municipality on Lesvos and the local Workers’ Center have called for a general strike on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. The decision comes amid clashes between locals and riot police deployed from Athens over the new closed migration centers. An announcement issued …

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Extensive clashes erupted overnight on islands of Lesvos and Chios and continue on Tuesday, with local authorities and residents trying to prevent the arrival of riot police, water canons and excavating machines to be used to build new closed migration centers. The forces arrived by ferries chartered by the government. …

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75% of the islands migrants population is from Afghanistan, Greece’s Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Tuesday adding that if the Afghan migrants are transferred to the mainland  they will have no right to be returned to Turkey. In a meeting with EU Migration Commissioner Yiva Johansson, Mitarakis pointed out …

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Turkey escalates tension with neighboring country and NATO partner Greece and asserts its long-standing claims in the Aegean Sea challenging the Greek sovereignty of several mostly uninhabited islands, the continental shelf and the territorial waters. Just hours after Defense Minister Hulusi Akar demanded demilitarization of 16 Greek islands, a high-ranking …

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Turkey’s challenges towards Greece have no end with Ankara adding a new claim and a point of dispute each and every day. This time the demilitarization of Greek islands was put on the agenda. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar demanded that 16 Greek islands in the Aegean Sea should be demilitarized. …

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All activities stand still  on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Leros as the public and private sector are holding a general strike to protest the government policy on migration and the continuous flows of refugees and migrants. Local residents and authorities and business owners have joint the strike. …

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Greece plans to give incentives in order to promote the use of electric cars. These incentives could be tax cuts, lower duties, subsidizing the prices and even free parking, the government said on Monday. There are also plans to link the country’s tourism with the electric transport. The Greek government …

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Two Greek islands are claimed to be among a 26-destinations list of European places that have been ruined by tourists in the past decade. According to a report, the iconic islands of Santorini and Mykonos in the central Aegean Sea have been victim of overtourism as more and more visitors …

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With a good portion of delay, the US State Department finally took position on the Turkey-Libya Agreement and Ankara’s Claims that the Greek islands have neither Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. The agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea signed by Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National …

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The Greek government plans to operate the pre-departure centers on the five Aegean islands in parallel with the existing reception centers (hotspots.) This is said in a letter by Minister for Citizen Protection to the European Commissioner for Human Rights. In November, the Greek government has said that the hotspots …

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In a joint statement, the five mayors of the eastern Aegean islands affected by the refugee / migrant issue reject the governmental plans for closed pre-departure centers with capacities exceeding 5,000 people. The mayors complain that they were not informed in advance about the new facilities and urge New Democracy …

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Local authorities on the islands of Samos, Chios and Leros are up in arms less than 24 hours after the government announced the opening of five pre-departure centers on the five Aegean islands with capacities mostly exceeding the number of refugees and migrants currently been hosted there. Local authorities speak …

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Greece will close hotspots on the Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros and will open instead closed pre-departure centers, government spokesman Stelios Petsas announce don Wednesday. the new centers will be ready by July 2020. Presenting the new government plan for the Migration issue, Petsas announced among …

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An incredible adventure for a 45-year-old tourist from New Zealand sailing the Greek islands with a catamaran yacht. The woman went missing from the island of Folegandros Friday noon and was found on board of a dinghy in the middle of the Aegean Sea, 55 nautical miles off the North …

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