Ship, more police being sent to Kos to assist refugees

A cruise liner and more than 250 policemen will be sent to Greece’s eastern Aegean islands to help authorities deal with the growing influx of refugees and migrants, the government decided yesterday.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by State Minister Alekos Flambouraris. Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Tasia Christodoulopoulou took part in the talks and is due to meet today in Athens with EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos in the hope of finding a way for Athens to receive emergency funding from Brussels to help process and care for migrants and refugees.

A ship that can carry more than 2,000 people is due to be sent to Kos, which is experiencing the worst overcrowding, by Saturday. Authorities on the island are trying to process the new arrivals, with some 1,000 being given papers yesterday after a 12member team from the Aliens Bureau in Athens was sent there to help local police.

At least 260 more police officers are due to be sent to Kos and other eastern Aegean islands in the coming days.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) criticized Greece yesterday for failing to provide adequate care to refugees arriving on Kos. “What was previously a situation of state inaction is now one of state abuse, with police using increasing heavy-handed force against these vulnerable people,” said Brice de le Vingne, MSF director of operations.