Now 200 migrants a day are landing on the island of Lesbos
ANOTHER popular Greek holiday island is at risk of being overwhelmed by migrants desperate to start a new life in Europe.
Up to 200 have been arriving in makeshift boats on the rocky beaches of Lesbos every day, according to officials.
Clambering on shore, these young men had survived the crossing from Turkey, which is less than four miles away. Refugees from Syria and Afghanistan were among those rescued by the coastguard.
Once on dry land, they face a long wait to be processed by the authorities before being given papers that will allow them to head to mainland Greece.
It comes after the Mail reported last week how the tiny island of Kos was inundated with more than 1,000 migrants in the space of a week as the peak tourist season approaches.
Many of the migrants are now living in makeshift camps near the beaches – much to the horror of many holidaying Britons.
Lesbos is the third-largest Greek island and welcomes many of the two million Britons who visit Greece each year.
After years of Italy bearing the brunt of migrants pouring across into the Mediterranean, the Greek islands have become the focal point of the crisis, with thousands arriving via Turkey.
More than 40,000 migrants and refugees entered Greece between January and May 2015, and the number is expected to rise, according to the Hellenic coastguard. The influx is fuelling fears that Greece could unleash a wave of economic migrants on Britain and the rest of Europe. There are also concerns that jihadists will use the route to launch attacks on the West.
Meanwhile the Greek government believes the migrants could have a negative effect on tourism – a major source of revenue as it struggles to deal with its economic crisis.
Politicians have threatened to hand travel papers to 10,000 migrants held in detention centres among others in the row over EU austerity measures. A plan to dis- perse 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece to other countries in the EU has been met with resistance, and Britain has said it would not participate.
The migrants travel to Greece mainly from Turkey or the coast of Libya, which has descended into anarchy since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in 2011.
More than 1,800 men women and children have already died this year after attempting to cross the Mediterranean in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, according to official estimates.