All News on Social Issues in Greece
Turkey rescues 26 asylum seekers in Aegean
Turkey rescued 26 asylum seekers who were pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean, security sources said on Aug. 15.
They were rescued from a dinghy off the coast of Foça district in Turkey's western İzmir province, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Ministry rejects Turkish claims about Muslim minority as laughable
The Greek Foreign Ministry dismissed accusations by Turkey on Wednesday that Greece is oppressing its Muslim community in Western Thrace as "paradoxical, if not funny."
"History will forever be the most objective witness to the way in which Turkey has systematically eliminated all minorities in its territory during the 20th century," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
New daily record set with 262 new infections
New SARS-CoV-2 infections recorded a fresh record in the past 24 hours in Greece as health authorities announced 262 new cases on Wednesday, fuelling concerns about the course of the pandemic.
Athens fires back over Ankara’s minority rights accusation
Greece and Turkey exchanged criticisms over minority rights on Wednesday with Athens saying that it is "paradoxical, if not funny" for Turkey to lecture Greece about the need to respect minority rights.
North Macedonia: Police find 148 migrants in trucks
Police in North Macedonia say they have discovered 148 migrants crammed into trucks in two separate operations in central and northern parts of the country, and have arrested two men on suspicion of trafficking migrants.
Turkey says Greece violating rights of Muslim minority
Turkey has accused Greece of oppressing the members of its Muslim community in western Thrace, while slamming the European Union for allegedly tolerating the "systematic violation of human rights" in the country.
Ankara slams Greece over closing minority schools
Turkey slammed Greece on Aug. 11 over systematically closing down Turkish minority schools in the country's Western Thrace region, depriving the minority of the education of their choosing.
Greek Coast Guard fires warning shots against migrant boat
Greece's Coast Guard said on Tuesday it had fired warning shots against a vessel which it said was carrying migrants from Turkey to Greece.
The incident took place at about 3.40 a.m. on Tuesday, when a private boat with an unspecified number of passengers attempted to sail towards the island of Rhodes.
Ministry issuing travel papers for refugees
The Migration Ministry has opened an office offering travel documents to refugees to help them go to other European Union countries, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Tuesday, following the departure of hundreds of migrants from state facilities, many of whom have been camping out in city squares.
Only 18 NGOs granted right to enter migrant centers
Only 18 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) will reserve the right to enter reception and identification centers (RICs) as well as accommodation facilities for migrants and refugees in Greece, the Migration and Asylum Ministry said on Wednesday.
One more Covid-19 death brings total to 185
Greek media reported one more death from Covid-19 in Greece on Tuesday, which brings the total number to 185.
The victim was a 74-year-old man from the town of Xanthi who was being treated in the University Hospital of Alexandroupolis.
The official death toll announced by the Health Ministry on Monday afternoon was 184, along with a total of 3,134 infections.
Commission Denies ‘Covering up’ Croatia’s Failure to Monitor Police
The European Commission has rejected allegations that its officials tried to cover up the failure by Croatia's government to supervise its border police, after they were repeatedly accused of abusing migrants and refugees on the EU's external borders.
Just 4 new coronavirus cases; no deaths
Greece's National Public Health Organization announced Saturday there have been just four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and no fatalities.
The number of confirmed cases is now 3,112, with 183 deaths. There are 13 patients on ventilators, while 116 have exited intensive care.
Fire service and other state offices raided as part of Mati probe
A special magistrate that is overseeing an ongoing investigation into the disastrous wildfires in Mati, eastern Attica, that killed more than 100 people in the summer of 2018 on Friday ordered raids on all state services that were involved in the operation to put out the blaze in a bid to determine whether any potentially incriminating evidence has been covered up.
Migration Ministry extends residence permits to avert crowding
As hundreds of refugees and migrants lined up to renew their temporary residence permits outside Greece's main Asylum Service a few kilometers north of central Athens for a third day on Friday, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis announced measures to facilitate the process and ease crowding amid fears of a coronavirus spread.