Migrant flow to Greece continues despite returns to Turkey

[snoop1130]

Migrant flow to Greece continues despite returns to Turkey
Euronews

GREECE -- Day and night, migrants continue to land in Greece, despite the start of deportations to Turkey under an EU deal aimed at stemming the flow.

Altogether, more people arrived on the Greek islands in the 24 hours to Monday morning when the returns began than were sent back to Turkey yesterday, Greek authorities said, putting total arrivals at 339.

Firaz Kassem, 31, from Hasakah in Syria, is one of the newcomers to have reached Lesbos.

“I have not heard that they are sending Syrians back to Turkey,” he said.

“I heard that maybe Iranians, Persians, Afghans… but I didn’t hear they are taking Syrians back to Turkey.”

He added: “We are just going to try our chance. Just follow our destiny. We don’t know… We are dead anyway.”

However, under its pact with Europe, criticised by human rights groups, Ankara is taking back all migrants and refugees who have illegally entered Greece after March 20, including Syrians, if they fail to apply for asylum or if their claim is turned down.

Of Monday’s more than 200 returnees to Turkey, many were Pakistanis and Afghans.

For each Syrian sent back, another Syrian is being resettled in the EU, directly from Turkey.

German police said the first 32 Syrian refugees arrived in Hanover on two flights from Istanbul on Monday under the deal.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of migrants remain stranded in Greece, with closed borders stopping them reaching northern Europe.

Many are stuck at Idomeni on the Macedonian frontier, where some blockaded a main highway on Monday, bringing traffic to a standstill in protest at their own journey having ground to a halt.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-04-05

[boomerangutang]

Duhhhh. If I were a guy from that part of the world (the Dunes), I'd do everything I could - to get to Germany or Denmark or Sweden. No doubt about it. It's the difference between trying to stay alive in a miserable part of the world, with bullets flying, and chicks only available to the well-connected, and no jobs, and a mean-spirited highly-restrictive religion, .........versus a comparative promised land in green and friendly Europe. I spent a dozen of my first 22 years growing up in European countries. I may go back to visit, but I don't expect it to be near the same as the happy-go-lucky place of my youth. If I go, it will be to hike/bicycle in the countryside. I'll avoid cities, except maybe Madrid, where I kicked around, playing music in night clubs, chasing girls, and generally having a fun time. Those were the days when Franco was still in power. I hear things got even more party-hearty when Franco died. At my age, I'm not keen on trying to party from sundown to sun-up. I'll be content hiking the Pyrenees. Probably won't see any Arabs there, as they're all going to the cities, where the sign-up sheets and ample benefits are.

[NeverSure]

Duhhhh. If I were a guy from that part of the world (the Dunes), I'd do everything I could - to get to Germany or Denmark or Sweden. No doubt about it. It's the difference between trying to stay alive in a miserable part of the world, with bullets flying, and chicks only available to the well-connected, and no jobs, and a mean-spirited highly-restrictive religion, .........versus a comparative promised land in green and friendly Europe. I spent a dozen of my first 22 years growing up in European countries. I may go back to visit, but I don't expect it to be near the same as the happy-go-lucky place of my youth. If I go, it will be to hike/bicycle in the countryside. I'll avoid cities, except maybe Madrid, where I kicked around, playing music in night clubs, chasing girls, and generally having a fun time. Those were the days when Franco was still in power. I hear things got even more party-hearty when Franco died. At my age, I'm not keen on trying to party from sundown to sun-up. I'll be content hiking the Pyrenees. Probably won't see any Arabs there, as they're all going to the cities, where the sign-up sheets and ample benefits are.

I haven't been to Europe for about 15 years. I bought a tour as did some friends. We landed in Paris, toured the city for several days including museums etc, spent a day touring the Loire Valley, spent the night in a castle, toured Spain, Italy etc. by 1st class bus. Flew to London and toured from there...

I don't want to go back. Been there, done that and don't expect I'd find the same relaxed places I saw before. I do expect that the French would still have their snotty noses in the air (nothing worse than a French waiter, not even in Thailand) and that cab drivers in Spain would still be yelling at each other out their windows...

[Scott]

Duhhhh. If I were a guy from that part of the world (the Dunes), I'd do everything I could - to get to Germany or Denmark or Sweden. No doubt about it. It's the difference between trying to stay alive in a miserable part of the world, with bullets flying, and chicks only available to the well-connected, and no jobs, and a mean-spirited highly-restrictive religion, .........versus a comparative promised land in green and friendly Europe. I spent a dozen of my first 22 years growing up in European countries. I may go back to visit, but I don't expect it to be near the same as the happy-go-lucky place of my youth. If I go, it will be to hike/bicycle in the countryside. I'll avoid cities, except maybe Madrid, where I kicked around, playing music in night clubs, chasing girls, and generally having a fun time. Those were the days when Franco was still in power. I hear things got even more party-hearty when Franco died. At my age, I'm not keen on trying to party from sundown to sun-up. I'll be content hiking the Pyrenees. Probably won't see any Arabs there, as they're all going to the cities, where the sign-up sheets and ample benefits are.

I haven't been to Europe for about 15 years. I bought a tour as did some friends. We landed in Paris, toured the city for several days including museums etc, spent a day touring the Loire Valley, spent the night in a castle, toured Spain, Italy etc. by 1st class bus. Flew to London and toured from there...

I don't want to go back. Been there, done that and don't expect I'd find the same relaxed places I saw before. I do expect that the French would still have their snotty noses in the air (nothing worse than a French waiter, not even in Thailand) and that cab drivers in Spain would still be yelling at each other out their windows...

I worked in Europe for a time and spent a lot of time traveling around the continent, mostly in relation to work. Even though the number of refugees, migrants and illegals entering the problem are large, it is a big continent and I have no idea how much it has really changed. Dominant cultures don't go away easily.

When I worked there, I spent considerable time in Brussels. That was long before 9/11 and even at that time, the Islamic influence was very strong and it already had a strong ME influence, but without the concerns for terrorism.

Most of the snotty people in France seemed to be in Paris, but even with that the food was usually good enough to overcome the less than hospitable wait staff.

There isn't much of Europe I didn't see or experience, but I wouldn't write it off my list of places to visit just yet, any more than it's really fair for a lot of people to write the US off their list because they disagree with the gun laws.

[NeverSure]

Duhhhh. If I were a guy from that part of the world (the Dunes), I'd do everything I could - to get to Germany or Denmark or Sweden. No doubt about it. It's the difference between trying to stay alive in a miserable part of the world, with bullets flying, and chicks only available to the well-connected, and no jobs, and a mean-spirited highly-restrictive religion, .........versus a comparative promised land in green and friendly Europe. I spent a dozen of my first 22 years growing up in European countries. I may go back to visit, but I don't expect it to be near the same as the happy-go-lucky place of my youth. If I go, it will be to hike/bicycle in the countryside. I'll avoid cities, except maybe Madrid, where I kicked around, playing music in night clubs, chasing girls, and generally having a fun time. Those were the days when Franco was still in power. I hear things got even more party-hearty when Franco died. At my age, I'm not keen on trying to party from sundown to sun-up. I'll be content hiking the Pyrenees. Probably won't see any Arabs there, as they're all going to the cities, where the sign-up sheets and ample benefits are.

I haven't been to Europe for about 15 years. I bought a tour as did some friends. We landed in Paris, toured the city for several days including museums etc, spent a day touring the Loire Valley, spent the night in a castle, toured Spain, Italy etc. by 1st class bus. Flew to London and toured from there...

I don't want to go back. Been there, done that and don't expect I'd find the same relaxed places I saw before. I do expect that the French would still have their snotty noses in the air (nothing worse than a French waiter, not even in Thailand) and that cab drivers in Spain would still be yelling at each other out their windows...

I worked in Europe for a time and spent a lot of time traveling around the continent, mostly in relation to work. Even though the number of refugees, migrants and illegals entering the problem are large, it is a big continent and I have no idea how much it has really changed. Dominant cultures don't go away easily.

When I worked there, I spent considerable time in Brussels. That was long before 9/11 and even at that time, the Islamic influence was very strong and it already had a strong ME influence, but without the concerns for terrorism.

Most of the snotty people in France seemed to be in Paris, but even with that the food was usually good enough to overcome the less than hospitable wait staff.

There isn't much of Europe I didn't see or experience, but I wouldn't write it off my list of places to visit just yet, any more than it's really fair for a lot of people to write the US off their list because they disagree with the gun laws.

My favorite food was in Italy. We had a hard time finding food we liked in Paris. We finally ducked into a Burger King on the Champs Elysee because we were truly hungry. We had left partially eaten meals in several restaurants.

To me, Europe is "been there done that" and is no longer a draw to me. I will admit that the very old buildings which don't exist in the US were fascinating. We got into the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and saw the painted ceiling. The huge cathedrals were amazing including St. Peter's in the Vatican. All of those things were worth seeing. Once.

Cheers.

[SgtRock]

The call was made and it was heard loud and clear.

A burst dam only stops when it runs out of water.

[Credo]

So now it is a little like winning the lottery and everybody is a winner. If you make it through, you are in the land of milk and honey and if you don't they give some money and send you home.

It's a win-win situation, sort of.

[soc]

Loved Europe in the 70s.

Can't imagine & don't really want to, what its like now.

Poland was the cheapest place, l've ever been to.

Lower prices than Asia, but only because you could buy Zloty from "free market entrepreneurs" at such a good rate! lol!

Beautiful girls & lovely old buildings.

Beer was not that good though.