Moria

Greece began moving hundreds of asylum seekers on Monday from a camp on the island of Lesvos that holds around four times the number of people it was built for.

Over 11,000 refugees and migrants, most of whom have fled war or poverty in the Middle East, Asia or Africa, are holed up at Moria in Europe's biggest migrant camp.

An expected 1,500 refugees will depart the Moria camp on the island of Lesvos for mainland Greece Monday, authorities say.

Two high-speed ships have been retained for this purpose.

The first batch of 650 will leave early Monday.

Thirteen boats with 547 migrants arrived at the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos from the Turkish coast on Thursday afternoon, in what is the largest number of arrivals in one day since the migration crisis of 2015-2016, local media reported on Friday.

Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis on Saturday inspected the Moria reception and identification center (RIC) on the island of Lesvos in the eastern Aegean. He was briefed by director Yiannis Balbakakis about conditions at the hotspot, which currently hosts more than 6,000 asylum-seekers. About 40, mostly Afghans, were screened during his visit.

Police on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos said on Saturday that 13 asylum seekers, aged between 14 and 32, had been arrested at the Moria refugee camp on charges of causing grievous bodily harm.

A "silent protest" is to take place on Monday on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos to mark one year since far-right extremists violently attacked a group of asylum seekers who had camped in the main square of the island's capital, Mytilene.

International Rescue Committee Voice Lena Headey is seen at the Moria camp on Lesvos on Tuesday. The "Game of Thrones" star urged EU leaders to find a solution to the crisis which has left thousands in limbo. "The situation seems to have reached a new peak of desperation," said Headey who last visited the island two years ago.

A workers' centre on the island of Lesvos said on Thursday it will hold a protest rally on February 7 at the port of Mytilene to request the closing of the overcrowded migrant reception centre in Moria, the transfer of refugees to the mainland and the improvement of living conditions in all centres.

The rally is planned at 6:30 p.m. on Sapfous square.

Fire service teams were transferring letters from various parts of the country to Athens on Saturday in an ongoing investigation into a slew of missives posted from abroad, most of them from India, containing a powder that tests have shown to be harmless.

The administration office at the Moria reception and identification centre on the island of Lesvos was evacuated on Friday after staff received a letter deemed suspicious, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported.

The letter, sent through a private courier company, appeared to have originated from Oman.