Piraeus port flooded by surge of refugees

Greek authorities recorded 766 new arrivals in one 24-hour period, up from 192 a previous day. Italy, meanwhile, reported an even larger rise in arrivals yesterday; officials there said that 1,350 people were rescued from boats taking the longer migration route over the Mediterranean.

Almost 6,000 people remained stuck at Piraeus at the end of March. Many have found shelter in passenger waiting lounges while others have had to sleep in the open, under tents or on blankets spread out across the dock.

Queues for portable toilets are long, and scuffles have broken out over mobile phone chargers and food distribution, causing international rights group Human Rights Watch to criticise the conditions at the port as ‘abysmal’.

The Migration Policy Department of the Ministry of Interior has printed brochures in an attempt to convince refugees and immigrants in the port of Piraeus to move to temporary shelters.

However, since arriving at Piraeus, most have been reluctant to move, fearing they would be too far from the closed Greek-Macedonian border in case it reopened.

Syrian immigrants and refugees are expected to be transferred to Kyllini, while 700 Afghans will be separated and head sent to Eleonas camp, which is already operating, although has no extra space to host them at present.