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The crisis of migration to Europe
Image copyright pyriteReuters
Police on Lesbos Greek Island are evacuating thousands and evacuating refugees from the fire-fighting Moria camp to a new tent city nearby.
Seventeen women officers in protective suits were flown in to arrange the relocation of the women and children to the temporary Kara Tape camp.
On Wednesday, four Afghan asylum seekers were charged with starting a fire that destroyed Moria last week.
A government official said 1,800 cars went to Tape early Thursday.
But many migrants and refugees are reluctant to stay on Lesbos, as Moria was more crowded and cluttered. They hope to move elsewhere in Europe, especially in Germany.
Image copyright pyriteReutersMore than 12,000 people had fled the Moria Blaze and most were sleeping at the time due to lack of food, water and shelter.
Officers began waking families early Thursday to move them to a new camp. Footage from the scene showed female officers wearing white uniforms to the migrants.
Migrants are tested for coronavirus before entering the Kara Tape. A Reuters news agency report said 56 Covid-19 were found to be positive, and officials were trying to isolate the infected. A police spokesman told AFP the operation was aimed at “protecting public health”.
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The fire broke out last week after 35 people tested positive for coronavirus and some protested being put in solitude after months of lockouts.
During the operation to relocate the migrants to a makeshift camp, the NGO Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) tweeted that he had been denied admission to his new clinic in Lesbos by Greek police.
People from 70 countries were granted asylum at Moria, most of them Afghans.
The German government has now agreed to relocate 1,553 people from Moria – they are among 408 families who have received refugee status.
Earlier, Germany also said it would take in as many as 150 unadvised minors. Greece flew 400 children to the mainland last week, and EU countries have agreed to receive them, although details are not yet clear.
The number of arrivals on the Greek islands near Turkey has dropped significantly since the 2015 migration crisis, but Greek camps, like those in Italy, are overcrowded.
In the European Union, Greece and Italy have been accused of failing to share the burdens of rich northern countries, as irregular migrants – including war zone refugees – continue to find new life in Europe.
