Leros

Koumoutsakos to Kathimerini: Worrying increase of migrant flows in the Aegean

The Greek government is deeply concerned over the reported 17 percent increase in migrant and refugee arrivals in recent weeks, says Alternate Minister for Citizens' Protection Giorgos Koumoutsakos, who is responsible for Greece's migration policy, in an interview with Kathimerini. More than 20,000 people are currently stranded on the Greek islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros.

Dozens of migrants rescued off Alexandroupolis, Farmakonisi

Greece's Coast Guard said it rescued 49 migrants from a dinghy sailing off the northern city of Alexandroupolis early Thursday morning.
The rescuees were transferred safely to the port of Alexandroupolis where the local port authority will investigate the incident.
The coast guard did not provide details on their nationalities.

Two Turkish F-16s violate Greek air space

Two Turkish fighter jets entered Greek air space above the islet of Kinaros on Tuesday morning, according to the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

The pair of F-16s were flying at an altitude of 27,000 feet when they were spotted at 9.34 a.m. above the islet west of Kalymnos and Leros, and east of Amorgos in the eastern Aegean Sea.

Migrant arrivals on islands peak as weather improves

The influx of undocumented migrants to the Aegean islands from neighboring Turkey intensified last week as the weather improved, even as reception centers remain overcrowded.
A total of 662 people arrived on the islands of the eastern Aegean last week, compared with 444 the week before that. Overall 1,866 landed on the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Kos and Leros last month.

New overflight by Turkish jets in eastern Aegean

A pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets on Wednesday entered Athens' FIR in the eastern Aegean without submitting a flight plan state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported.
The jets flew at 26,000 feet over the tiny rocky islets of Mavra, located between Amorgos and Leros.
The two F-16s were intercepted by Greek fighter jets, as per the international rules of engagement.

About 2,000 migrants arrived on Greek islands in January

Some 2,075 migrants and refugees arrived on the Greek islands in January, according to the latest data by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

In the same month, two traffickers were arrested and seven vessels were confiscated.

The arrivals figure for January was lower than the 3,183 recorded in December but higher than the 1,560 that arrived in January 2018.

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