The transfer of refugees from the Greek islands to the mainland started on Sunday as the implementation of the European Union-Turkey deal went into effect.
However, on the first day of the program agreed, 1,650 refugees and migrants arrived at Lesbos, Chios and Samos islands coming from Turkey.
The accord struck between EU and Turkey on Friday, set a Sunday deadline for Ankara to stem the flow of people making illegal journeys across the Aegean Sea to Greece in an attempt to enter Europe. It required Greece to begin sending back migrants who were not eligible for asylum. Under the deal, migrants who reached the Greek islands will be deported back to Turkey. For every Syrian returned, the EU will resettle one from a Turkish refugee camp.
Yet, registration and processing centers on the Greek islands were not adequately staffed to comply immediately with the new measures. It will take a few days before Greece starts sending back illegal migrants who came from Turkey.
Greek authorities managed to transfer to the mainland 4,000 of the 8,236 migrants and refugees stranded on the Greek islands on Sunday. On Monday, 1,433 refugees were transferred to the Elefsina Port in order to decongest Piraeus Port.
Meanwhile, on Sunday the Hellenic Coast Guard chased away and opened fire on a boat of Turkish people smugglers off Panagia Oinousson islet and managed to apprehend them.
Problems appeared during the registration and processing of 1,167 migrants who were taken to the refugee camp at the old army airport at Katsika of Ioannina. Refugees complained that the place had no adequate heating and electric power. Also, doctors found that many children were ill. As a result about 150 people were taken to the Athens and Thessaloniki camps.
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