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UNHCR: Surge in number of refugees arriving in Greece
19.10.2015 09:17 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
The number of people arriving in Greece by boat surged this week, leaving the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) struggling to cope, UN Radio says referring to the UNHCR report.
As to the report, on the last week Wed alone, some 85 boats arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Reportedly, the Greek island of Lesbos, just off Turkey has seen a dramatic uptick in the number of people arriving on its shores. According to the UN Refugee Agency, at times there were six boats approaching the shore at once, most of which were rubber rafts carrying up to 50 people on-board.
«We dont know the full reasons for the surge in arrivals. It could be a temporary improvement in the weather, a rush to beat the on-set of winter and fear that European borders may soon close,» the UNHCR Spokesman Adrian Edwards admits.
As to the report, Edwards notes currently there are between 35004000 people on the north coast of the island. Bus transfers had to be stopped because of overcrowding in the reception centres, leaving some people to attempt to walk the 70 kilometers across the island.
It is to be admitted, the UNHCR estimates that so far this year, more than 450,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Greece by sea.
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