Greece has seen fewer migrants and refugees due to increased border checks and the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the latest figures from the office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, the week from 10 August to 16 August saw 78 people arrived on the Aegean islands, a decrease from last week’s 212 arrivals and from last year’s 1,965 arrivals during the same period. The average daily arrivals on all islands this week equaled 11, compared to 30 in the previous week.
Present Population on the Islands
Some 28,200 refugees and asylum-seekers reside on the Aegean islands. The majority of the population on the Aegean islands are from Afghanistan (48%), Syria (18%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6%).
Women account for 22% of the population, and children for 31% of whom nearly 7 out of 10 are younger than 12 years old.
Approximately 12% of the children are unaccompanied or separated, mainly from Afghanistan.
Shielding against Covid-19
To ‘shield’ the older and immune-compromised asylum-seekers from the risk of covid-19, UNHCR is currently prioritising their transfer out of the island RICs into ESTIA apartments on the islands or the mainland and hotels on the islands.
This week, 30 people were moved, of whom 22 to ESTIA on the mainland and 8 to ESTIA on the island.
Entry Points by Sea
Lesvos received the highest number of arrivals (55), followed by the Dodecanese islands (23). Samos and Chios received no arrivals.
