EU must stop “racist criteria” in refugee relocation -Greece

Many have long since died, but their descendants are also classified as refugees and are concentrated in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, he said, Greeks would continue to do whatever they could to address the crisis and combat smugglers, “who not only exploit the people, but who put their lives at continuous risk”.

Lesbos is the main gateway for migrants arriving in Europe, especially Syrians fleeing the war in their country.

Mr Alfano said Italy was ready to relocate 100 more asylum-seekers who would go to Germany and the Netherlands. Those centers are important for relocating and distributing asylum-seekers in other European countries, Asselbon said. “It is impossible. And with the [severe] winter weather in the Balkans there could be a tragedy at any moment”, UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres said.

Turkey says it is concerned about a possible new refugee influx from Syria due to Russia’s military campaign there.

But as the charts on this page show, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers overwhelmingly take shelter in countries very near their own convulsed homeland. Council diplomats say migrants on vessels that are seized would be taken to Italy. Most often the place they flee and the place they take refuge are side by side in either the Middle East or Africa. “Good, I will repeat it one more time, without this, there is no way to organize relocations, a distribution of the seekers in other European countries”.

The list now only includes Syrians, Eritreans and Iraqis.

Nearly 400,000 people have arrived in Greece this year, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has said, overwhelming the crisis-stricken government’s ability to cope. Greece is a country of which the people have hospitality in their DNA.

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann cast doubt on the workability of the so-called migrant hotspots European leaders plan to create by the end of next month in Greece and Italy to help manage large numbers of refugees. Although a short sea journey, it can be fatal as the unseaworthy and overloaded boats sometimes sink.

Migrants and refugees wait outside a fence of the Moria camp on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Saturday October 10, 2015. A 1-year-old boy was recovered unconscious and transported to a hospital, but rescuers were unable to revive him.

The coast guard also intervened twice during the night in the same region to rescue groups of 48 and 70 migrants on board boats that were taking on water, the ministry said.