New migrant tragedy claims 27 lives as Greece grapples with refugee crisis

On Monday, at least 27 more migrants and refugees drowned in their attempt.

Among the dead were 11 children – all killed when their boat sank off Turkey’s Aegean coast as they headed for the Greek island of Lesbos.

The desperate journey to safety is not doomed for all.

On Monday alone, Greece’s Coast Guard and the EU’s border agency Frontex are said to have rescued over 2,000 men, women and children fleeing Syria and beyond, risking everything in search of safety and a new life.

More than 1 in 3 refugees and migrants on the move in Europe are children. They need to be protected https://t.co/PUeiML6BKe

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) 2 Février 2016

In the first five weeks of this year nearly 70,000 migrants and refugees reached Greek shores according to The International Organization for Migration.

In 2016, 68,778 #migrants & #refugees reached Greece. 44% men,22% women & 34% children https://t.co/oWEXfu2TK1 pic.twitter.com/3LBlbJFvR4

— IOM (@IOM_news) 5 Février 2016

In Athens, however, not everyone is ready to give them a warm welcome.

Members of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party took part in a rally on Monday against government plans to open migrant screening centres and transit camps.

Greece says will have refugee centers open by Feb 15 deadline https://t.co/EP7ELZ2CUl pic.twitter.com/AU5nTREsHQ

— Kathimerini English (@ekathimerini) 8 Février 2016

The party’s strong anti-foreigner, anti-immigrant stance was opposed on the streets by leftist, anti-fascist activists in a stark symbol of the increasingly bitter divisions this migrant crisis is triggering across Europe.

(euronews.com)