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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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1/11
Refugees from Turkey reach Lesbos in completely overcrowded rubber boats.
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imago images / Xinhua
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2/11
On Sunday alone, more than 500 migrants from Turkey migrated to the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos.
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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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3.11
Angry residents of the island of Lesbos temporarily prevented around 25 migrants or refugees from landing in a rubber dinghy in the small port of Thermi, according to media reports on Sunday.
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keystone-sda.ch
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10/11
Thousands have tried to get to Greece in the past few days.
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keystone-sda.ch
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11/11
Security forces react to the rush of refugees with tear gas.
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The situation is coming to a head on the border between the EU member state Greece and Turkey. While the Greeks are resisting the admission of thousands of refugees and can count on the support of the EU, Turkey is massively increasing its police contingent in the region.
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Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the approximately 1,000 additional police officers should prevent the migrants from being sent back to Turkey.
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He accused the Greek authorities of sending 5000 people back to Turkey, injuring 164 in the process. Turkey also blamed Greek security forces for the death of a migrant on Wednesday, which the Greek government dismissed as false.
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Frontex support from next week
The EU interior ministers had recently promised Greece 700 million euros for border guards, but also for the care of several thousand refugees who are already in Greece.
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The member country is now also to be supported with additional border guards. The European border agency Frontex wants to start aid for Greece next week. “We plan to send around 100 emergency services to the Evros border region as of Wednesday,” said a Frontex spokeswoman for the DPA news agency in Warsaw on Thursday.
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With ships and helicopters against refugees
At the same time, Frontex plans to launch another rapid intervention, focusing on coastal protection in the Aegean. This is primarily about equipping with ships and helicopters.
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Since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the EU borders to be open to migrants and refugees last weekend, Thousands have gone to the Kastanie border crossing (LOOK reported). The Greek security forces don’t let anyone through. The refugees and migrants are therefore camped in Turkish territory immediately before the border. (Cat / SDA)
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