Two men have been detained after two boats carrying 305 Syrian refugees arrived on the Mediterranean Island. The Turkish coast guard says it stopped 313 migrants this weekend trying to reach Balkan countries.
Advertisement
Cypriot authorities brought ashore more than 300 Syrian refugees early on Sunday after spotting two crowded boats in open water off the island's northwest coast.
Police spokesman Michalis Ioannou said the 202 men, 30 women and 73 children had left Mersin in Turkey on Saturday.
As one of the vehicles was taking in water, the boats were towed into harbor, police said.
What migrants face on Lesbos – and why it's getting worse
Asylum-seekers stranded on the Greek island of Lesbos can expect things to deteriorate even more: Numerous NGOs that provide health, legal and other services are preparing to pull out or have already left.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Stuck on the Aegean
European funding for NGOs responding to the migrant crisis on the Greek islands came to an end in August. Since then the Greek state alone has been responsible for dealing with the asylum-seekers. But there was no clear transition plan, and gaps in humanitarian services have become apparent throughout Lesbos.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Neither here nor there
Moria, the main reception facility in Lesbos, and other such camps are unable to cope with the continuing arrivals of small numbers of asylum-seekers. Tensions are high; frustration quickly turns into aggression, fights between individuals morph into fights between different ethnic groups.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Fresh and clean
Discarded shampoo and water bottles lie next to an improvised shower outside Moria. Due to a shortage of hygienic facilities in the camp, many people there look for other options. They see the failure to provide adequate facilities as a deliberate strategy to worsen living conditions.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Waiting for a decision
Aman from Eritrea apologizes for not being able to offer tea or water in his tent. He has been waiting for a decision on his asylum request since he arrived in Lesbos three months ago. "There are too many problems inside Moria." Overcrowded shelters and tensions between different groups often results into fights.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
'We are human'
An Afghan asylum-seeker prepares signs for a protest against the poor conditions in Moria. Most of the Afghans protesting have been on Lesbos for over a year and are still waiting for a response to their asylum bids. Lack of information, tough living conditions and the fear of being deported back to Afghanistan leave many of them in a constant state of anxiety.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
The limits of generosity
Residents of Lesbos discuss the Afghans' protest. The refugee crisis has led to a massive decline in tourism on Lesbos, down by almost 75 percent this year compared to 2015. Greece's ongoing economic crisis has also had a great impact on the island. Although many locals are sympathetic to the asylum-seekers's needs, they don't think Greece is capable of hosting them right now.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Two weeks against helplessness
Volunteers have been filling gaps, such as providing health care, which is in great demand. German doctor Juta Meiwald came to Lesbos for two weeks to help. She says many of the health problems are a result of the living conditions at Moria. Those in the camps have complained that, regardless of their afflictions, doctors there generally just give them painkillers.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
Reclaiming life
At the Mosaik Support Center asylum-seekers transform life vests collected on the beach into bags and wallets. Activities like this are a welcome interruption to the monotony of life in the camps, in addition to giving those stuck here, like this Iranian woman, a small income.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
New arrivals every day
Since early 2015, new arrivals have been obliged to stay on the island until their asylum claims are processed. But a backlog of applications and a lengthy appeals process have meant only a fraction of cases have been assessed. Over 14,000 migrants arrived in Greece this year, according to the UN refugee agency. Last year Greece granted asylum to around 12,500 people, while 173,000 came.
Image: DW/V. Haiges
9 images1 | 9
Two men detained
A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of piloting one of the boats. He was expected to appear before a court in the Cypriot resort town of Paphos on Sunday.
A 29-year-old man was also taken into custody on suspicion of migrant trafficking.
Officials said the migrants were in good health and would be transported to a reception center outside the capital Nicosia. They reported paying up to $2,000 (1,660 euros) each to the smugglers for the trip.
Authorities said the rescue was one of the largest group landings of migrants to the island, which despite being the closest European Union member state to Syria, has largely been spared the massive numbers that have overwhelmed other EU countries over the past two years.
Since September 2014 more than a dozen migrant boats have reached the island, bringing in nearly 1,500 migrants, including the latest arrivals.
New departures from Turkey
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities say they stopped 313 migrants on the Black Sea attempting to reach Balkan countries in the last two days.
One fishing boat, discovered off the northern coast of Istanbul on Sunday, was carrying 93 Syrians and an Afghan along with a suspected Turkish smuggler.
The coast guard also intercepted 68 Syrians and two Iranians in a sailboat with one alleged Turkish smuggler, a few miles east of Bulgaria on Saturday.
Late Friday, an official vessel stopped 149 Syrians and two Ukrainians thought to be smugglers in a fishing boat emitting a distress signal just off the Romanian coast.