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GREECE HAS EXPELLED a second batch of migrants to Turkey under a controversial EU deal criticised by rights groups, an AFP stringer witnessed.
The 45 migrants, who a police source said were all Pakistani nationals, departed from the island of Lesbos on the Turkish ferry Lesvos.
Three activists were arrested after clinging onto the ferry’s anchor to prevent it from leaving.
Another 30 people gathered at the port of Lesbos, chanting “Stop deportations”, “EU shame on you” and “Freedom for the refugees”.
Another group of around 80 migrants is expected to leave Lesbos later in the day.
Asylum
According to the Greek government, the operation concerns people who have not requested asylum in Greece.
“Whoever applies for asylum is removed from the list,” a government source told AFP.
A first batch of 202 migrants were sent to Turkey from the islands of Lesbos and Chios on Monday, sparking a flurry of asylum demands and forcing Greek authorities to delay further expulsions as they have to examine the demands individually.
Greek officials now expect a two-week delay while authorities examine the first of those asylum applications.
Fear of deportation has prompted acts of desperation in some of the camps where migrants are held.
Yesterday, some 150 migrants broke out of a camp on the island of Samos but were later persuaded to return, the government source said.
A similar incident occurred on the island of Chios last week.
‘ We risked our lives’
Dozens of migrants on Samos and Lesbos also claim to have begun a hunger strike to prevent their expulsion and demand the reopening of borders shut by Balkan nations last month.
One Pakistani hunger striker collapsed in Moria, the main camp on Lesbos, and was taken for treatment by medical charity Medecins du Monde.
Another Pakistani on Samos, named Ali, told AFP that a dozen of his countrymen were on hunger strike there.
“They told us to apply for asylum in Greece and that if not, we are going to be sent back to Turkey.
“We risked our lives to come here, we don’t want to go back to Turkey because they are going to send us back to Pakistan. We don’t want to apply for asylum in Greece, we want to go to Germany,” Ali said.
Under the terms of the EU-Turkey deal, all “irregular migrants” arriving on the Greek islands from Turkey since March 20 face being sent back, although the accord calls for each case to be examined individually.
And for every Syrian refugee returned, another Syrian refugee will be resettled from Turkey to the EU, with numbers capped at 72,000.
In return, Turkey is slated to receive benefits including visa-free travel for its citizens to Europe, which in the accord is promised “at the latest” by June 2016.
There are at least 3,000 migrants from various countries detained in Lesbos and about 800 in Samos.
Pope Francis, who used his recent Easter address to criticise the “rejection” of refugees, is to visit Lesbos on April 16.
- © AFP 2016.
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It is great to see the country nearly back to normal and 92% of adults have been vaccinated.The job Dr.Holohan and his team did for Ireland was fantastic he should receive the highest award from the president for service to his country.
@Fred Fender: and Fergal Bowers! He was amazing throughout with fantastic objective coverage.
New plan for schools, translated.
“now is the right time to evolve our contract tracing approach” TRANSLATION: “we are stopping contact tracing.”
“while maintaining the infection prevention and control measures” TRANSLATION: “We’re removing a major prevention and contol measure, but we’ll let you keep your hand sanitizer. Don’t complain or I’ll make you close the window.”
“nationally and internationally, the evidence tells us” TRANSLATION: “test and trace just got overwhelmed, but what we don’t know can’t hurt us. Also, we like these international studies of infection rates in schools that either took place pre-Delta, in schools with masks for kids, or while the schools were closed.”
“schools are a low risk setting” TRANSLATION: “if I just keep saying it, maybe it’ll come true.”
@Mac Muinteoir: A teacher complaining…. Well I never. Not even a month back after the three months off.
@Denis Ryan: booooooooooo
@Denis Ryan: congratulations on receiving the prize for the most predictable , begrudging and ill informed comment of the day . You’ll get your likes but lose a lot of your dignity . For once step back and acknowledge how stressful the classroom is at the moment . You won’t but you should .
@Denis Ryan: what a gobdaw
@Denis Ryan: notice how you couldn’t accurately contradict the actual argument???
@Graham Manning: Teachers out in force tonight, have an early one ye have a whole five hours of work to do tomorrow.
@Denis Ryan: jealousy will get ya giggled at honey.
@Graham Manning: jealousy of a teachers salary. Not really, wouldn’t suit my lifestyle. Used to achieving not looking for a handy number.
@Denis Ryan: I’ll take my salary, holidays, pension, job satisfaction and achievements. Thanks
@Denis Ryan: I’d say quit while you’re ahead, but you’re not even there… Not even close.
@Denis Ryan: do you really think we only do 5 hours of work?
@Conor Flood: He is correct though. Public Health advice given during this pandemic was possibly the most conservative on this planet. Now the advice is based on the data and the risks involved but of course this can never satisfy the naysayers. Most teachers are glad and happy to be getting back to normal, however there is a sizable minority that have never been happy, are not happy now and never will be happy. This is driven by the most moaniest, whingeist union in this country.
@Conor Flood: how is it more stressful? could you please elaborate?
@Paul Kelleher: in terms of teachers that’s a complete load of tripe.
So the solution to the contact tracing system being completely overwhelmed and collapsing is to just stop? Not trumpian at all.
Interesting that schools have also been advised not to tell parents if there’s a confirmed case in their child’s class.
Couldn’t make this level of incompetence, dereliction and lies up.
@Graham Manning: honestly don’t understand why they are advising schools not to communicate to parents that covid is in the classroom. It’s utterly irresponsible. Whatever about keeping kids in school, what about parents that are trying to keep vulnerable family members safe? If the kid that sits beside my kid in school tests positive, I’d like to know she’s a close contact so I can keep her away from grandparents for a bit, or get her tested. What about parents of kids with “underlying conditions”? Who does it benefit to keep parents in the dark?
@Mac Muinteoir: My guess is that they don’t want parents knowing about a positive classroom case because thirty parents might turn up to get their children tested from each class that has one and overwhelming the system again, it’s actually unbelievable that they think this is ok. Parents have a right to know.
@Mac Muinteoir: cos they want to pretend there’s no Covid in schools as opposed to putting the measures in place to ensure as close to that as possible. Basically the same crap they’ve been at since day one.
You would wonder why the under 18s can’t use the tracker app, like everyone else in Ireland. At least that can time how near they were to others and send alerts. It doesn’t make sense to have it and not use it in classrooms. Muted phones, but still tracking other phones via Bluetooth.
I keep a contact diary myself but I’m always aware that a sick person might not be able to remember who was near them for more than 15 minutes – the app is handy.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: most not allowed phones in school.
@Mac Muinteoir: my only daughter Mother of 4 kids has been diagnosed with brain tumour and it’s been a very nerve-wracking time for her, her husband and her children and us her parents and siblings.! Praying for a miracle!
Good man tony..
Does this mean pods are gone in childcare now?
@CarmelOh: “while maintaining the infection prevention and control measures in place in educational settings.” It appears pods will continue for the moment
@CarmelOh: pods and pretendy.
@Graham Manning: apologies…”are” pretendy.
@Graham Manning: they are also being used by childcare providers to reduce the hours care available while charging the same price!
@CarmelOh: do they have a choice though?
have your say