Another 2,000 migrants shipped from isles to makeshift camp in … Athens park

“We didn’t come to Greece to receive money or to create a problem; we want to leave and seek a better future in another country,” is the way the head of one family, who idenified themselves as refugees from Syria, told Proto Thema on Thursday.

The statement comes amid the latest (legal) arrival of 2,000 third country nationals at the port of Piraeus overnight, mostly from the eastern island of Kos (1,900) and 300 from the island of Lesbos (Lesvos).

According to reports, most of the new arrivals said they are Syrians, while others said they hailed from Afghanistan, Iran and even … Pakistan. It now remains to be seen which of the migrants will be awarded refugee status.

Greece’s eastern Aegean islands have been inundated by a wave of illegal migrants/undocumented immigrants/would-be refugees being landed on Greek territory by mostly Turkish people smugglers.

Most of the group headed to the central park of Pedion tou Areos (Parc du Champ de Mars), which has been turned into makeshift camp grounds in the middle of Athens. Luckily, volunteers have been handing out water and food to the Third World migrants, while a van and staff from the state-run disease control center is also on hand.

Proto Thema’s photographers came away with daily scenes at the park on Thursday.

According to people willing to talk to reporters, Turkish smugglers charged between 1,000 to 2,000 US dollars per person, with children’s’ “rates” ranging from “free passage” to 500 and 600 dollars.