Greece

MSF urges immediate evacuation of migrant camps in Greece to contain coronavirus

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for the immediate evacuation of migrant camps on Greece's islands, arguing that the conditions there provide "the perfect storm" for a COVID-19 outbreak. One…

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First female President for Greece

Greece’s first female president was formally sworn in to office Friday, nearly two months after the country’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to elect her. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, 63, is a former high…

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Frontex launches rapid border intervention on Greek land border

Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, deployed an additional 100 border guards at the Greek land border as part of a rapid border intervention requested by Greece. “We…

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EU to give migrants in Greece €2,000 to go home

The EU says it will pay €2,000 (£1,770; $2,225) each to migrants in overcrowded camps on the Greek islands willing to go back to their home countries. EU Home…

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Greece reports first coronavirus death

Greece reported its first fatality from a coronavirus infection on Thursday, a 66 year old man who had returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt at the end…

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Turkey’s Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis for returning migrants

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that there was "no difference" between the Nazis and the Greek authorities forcibly repelling thousands of migrants seeking to reach Greece…

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Greece closes state and public schools, kindergartens and universities

Greek Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced the closure of all schools and universities for 14 days to contain spread of coronavirus. The decision is applicable to all state and public…

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Refugee situation in Turkish-Greek border under focus in Brussels

EU leaders warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to respect the terms of a previous deal to keep migrants away from Europe's borders, after the Turkish leader came to…

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Von der Leyen tells Turkey to take migrants back from Greek border

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of talks with President Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey must move refugees and migrants away from the Greek border. “Finding a solution…

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‘Open the gates’ to migrants, Erdogan tells Greece before EU talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will hold talks in Brussels Monday as he called on Greece to "open the gates" for migrants at Turkey's border trying to get…

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Violent incidents in Greek refugee centre as tensions rise

A fire has ripped through a refugee shelter on the Greek island of Lesbos as tensions over a surge in migration from Turkey continue to rise. Flames engulfed the One…

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Greece records 21 new Coronavirus cases

Greece said on Saturday it had recorded 21 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total in the country to 66. The 54 travelers, on a religious pilgrimage, are all from three…

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Erdogan expected in Brussels on Monday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to be in Brussels on Monday for a one-day working visit, his office said amid a charged conflict between Turkey and the European Union…

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Migration agreement between Turkey and EU is dead – Greek PM

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the Turkish coastguard to prevent migrants from crossing the Aegean sea because of the risks, state media reported. A Turkish jurists group has slammed…

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EU foreign affairs chief calls on countries involved in Greek-Turkey standoff to stop this game

Migrants attempting to get into Europe need to know the border between Turkey and Greece is closed, the EU's foreign affairs chief has said, as he called on countries involved…

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EU warns ‘won’t be pressured’ over Greece-Turkey border crisis as tension flares

Ministers from across the EU met in Zagreb on Friday for a second day of talks on the conflict in Syria's Idlib province, as well as the build-up of refugees…

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Greece on alert as concerns mount of Turkish provocations

The Aegean has been placed in a state of alert as Athens fears that Turkey may, under the guise of migrant search and rescue operations, instigate provocations on Greek islets.…

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Greece and Australia shut schools as WHO warns about local transmission

Australia ordered its first school closure on Friday after a 16-year-old pupil tested positive for the coronavirus, as the country’s prime minister warned the public bill for treating infected patients…

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Turkey deploys police at Greek border to stem pushback of migrants

Turkey is deploying 1,000 special police forces along its border with Greece on Thursday to halt the pushback of migrants towards its territory, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, adding that…

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EU warns situation at the EU’s external borders is not acceptable

At a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, the member states said that Turkey was exploiting refugees to get its way politically. A joint statement said that…

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Cruise passengers quarantined in Greece after coronavirus case, Tunisia suspends ferry with northern Italy

Cruise passengers were temporarily quarantined after docking in Greece due to a case of coronavirus. Holidaymakers on the MSC Opera were kept on board the vessel on Wednesday after a…

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EU ministers hold emergency talks in the wake of tensions at the Greek-Turkish borders

European Union countries offered more money on Wednesday for border policing in Greece and humanitarian aid in Syria's Idlib, but they were in a bind over Turkey as they sought…

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Turkey claims migrant killed by Greek gunfire, Greek government denies

A migrant was killed by gunfire while trying to illegally cross the border from Turkey to Greece, local Turkish authorities said on Wednesday — but Greek officials denied the claim.…

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More than 24,000 attempts to cross the Greek border

Greek security forces have launched a manhunt for migrants who illegally crossed over from the Turkish border since Friday when thousands massed on the Turkish side of the Evros River.…

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Photo Story: New clashes along Turkish-Greek land border

Migrants clash with Greek police officers as they attempt to cross the closed-off Turkish-Greek border in a bid to reach European soil, in Edirne, Turkey, 04 March 2020. Thousands of…

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Erdogan says EU and world is not understanding Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that "millions" of migrants would soon head for Europe, drawing accusations from EU leaders that he is trying to pressure them into backing his…

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Greece continues efforts to fortify borders

As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Monday that soon the number of refugees crossing into Europe “will reach millions” unless the European Union takes responsibility for the crisis, Greece continued efforts…

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Protests in Greek refugee camps

Riot policemen detain a young boy while asylum seekers demonstrate outside the Moria refugees camp on Lesvos island, Greece, on 02 March 2020. The protesters ask to let them go…

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Greece and Czech Republic each confirm three new cases of coronavirus, Portugal confirms first case

Greece has confirmed three new cases of coronavirus, the Health Ministry said over the weekend, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections in the country to seven. The latest cases…

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Child dies as migrant boat capsizes off Lesvos, Greece

A child died and 47 migrants were rescued after their boat capsized off the Greek island of Lesvos, the Greek coastguard said on Monday. At least 1,000 migrants have reached…

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Greece stops accepting asylum applications following Turkish decision to let migrants pass through border

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted that his country will not be accepting asylum applications for one month, after Turkey's decision to let migrants pass in their attempts to travel…

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Tense situation along Greece-Turkish border

Upda Greek police fired tear gas to repel hundreds of stone-throwing migrants who tried to force their way across the border from Turkey on Sunday, with thousands more behind…

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Greek – Turkish border – EU border agency Frontex is on ‘high alert’

Greece blocked nearly 10,000 "illegal" entries into the European Union from Turkey on Saturday and Sunday morning, a government official has said. The Greek government announced on Sunday that it…

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4000 migrants try crossing Turkish – Greek border

Riot police and the Greek army on Saturday deployed tear gas along the country’s land border with Turkey to try to stop migrants from entering the country. A government spokesman said thousands of…

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McDonald’s Licencee Premier Capital to open 12 restaurants in 2020

Premier Capital plc, the Maltese-owned developmental licencee for McDonald’s in six European markets, will grow its network by 12 restaurants this year and modernise more existing restaurants in a €28…

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Clashes between refugees and police along the Turkish-Greek land border

Refugees and Greek border officials face each other on opposite sides of the border at the closed-off Turkish-Greek border, Edirne, Turkey, 29 February 2020. Greek police fired teargas towards…

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Turkey lets refugees exit towards Europe

Groups of refugees and migrants are heading towards the EU after Turkey said it would not abide by a deal to stop them reaching Europe. Turkey's communications chief said the…

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Greece Confirms First Coronavirus Case

Greece has confirmed its first coronavirus case, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The patient was a 38-year-old Greek woman who had travelled from an area of northern Italy, said…

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Residents clash with police on Greek islands over building of new migrant detention camps

Residents on two Greek islands clashed with police on Tuesday over the building of new migrant detention camps. Crowds attempted to stop police from disembarking on the islands of Lesbos…

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Riots in Greek Islands as islanders trying to prevent construction of permanent detention centres

Police in riot gear threw teargas and fired water cannon at Greek islanders as they tried to prevent access to construction sites for new migrant detention centres by setting fires,…

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Greece plans accelerations of detention centres after backlash of overcrowded migrant camps

Greece plans to accelerate the creation of detention centres on its outlying islands in the Aegean Sea after a backlash against overcrowded camps by some migrants and nearby residents. New…

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Greece defends anti-migrant floating barrier amid growing criticism

The Greek government has defended plans to erect a floating barrier in the Mediterranean to deter thousands of people determined to reach Europe from making the sea journey from Turkey.…

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Greece plans floating barrier to stop migrants

The government in Greece wants to use a floating barrier to help stop migrants from reaching the Greek islands from the nearby coast of Turkey. The Defence Ministry has invited…

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Two earthquakes registered close to Greece

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake has struck close to tourist hotspots Kos and Rhodes in Greece, the United States Geological Survey reported. According to the Independent this earthquake came just hours…

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No EU deal on Libya unless Turkey accord scrapped – Greek PM

European Union will not agree to a political solution to Libya’s factional conflict unless Turkey and Libya abandon a maritime accord they signed in November, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis…

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Greece elects first woman President

Greece's parliament on Wednesday elected the first woman president in the country's history, a senior judge with an expertise in environmental and constitutional law. A cross-party majority of 261 MPs…

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Greece tries to reverse Brain Drain

The Greek Government is asking talented young people who left the country during the financial crisis to return to the country. To encourage them to do so, the authorities have…

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Turkish hackers target Greek government websites, stock exchange

Turkish hackers claimed to have hijacked for more than 90 minutes the official websites of the Greek parliament, the foreign affairs and economy ministries, as well as the country's stock…

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Photo Story: Libyan Commander Haftar in talks with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis (R) talks with Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar (L) during their meeting in Parliament, in Athens, Greece, 17 January 2020. 'We are…

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Greece seeks pivotal position to Libya agreement

Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar secretly flew to Athens on Thursday for talks as Greece criticised its exclusion from a United Nations-backed peace conference in Berlin this weekend. The Berlin talks…

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Germany say Haftar willing to adopt cease-fire, Libyan warlord travels to Greece

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Libya's General Khalifa Haftar has agreed in principle to a cease-fire in the country. Maas flew to Benghazi at short notice on Thursday for…

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Photo Story: Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos in Ireland

Irish President Michael D. Higgins (L) and Irish First lady Sabina Higgins (R) look as Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (2-L) signs a visitors book next to his wife Vlassia Pavlopoulou-Peltsemi…

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Greece to have first female President

Greece’s conservative government on Wednesday nominated top judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou for the Greek presidency, a largely ceremonial role selected by the country’s parliament. Sakellaropoulou, 64, now president of the Council…

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US expected to intervene in easing tension in East Mediterranean

The United States will be assuming an active role in easing tensions created by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, particularly following its maritime borders and defense agreements with…

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12 died, 21 rescued as migrant boat sank off Western Greece island Paxos (Paxi)

At least twelve people drowned when their boat sank off an island in western Greece on Saturday, Greek authorities said, marking the deadliest toll in months in Greece's migrant crisis.…

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Bell-bearing tradition in Greece

Every winter, following the Orthodox Church's celebration of Epiphany, locals of certain villages of the Balkan Peninsula perform animalistic masquerades and ritual dances to ward off evil spirits and awaken…

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EASO to double its operational support personnel in the Malta, Greece, Italy and Cyprus in 2020

In 2020, EASO will see its operational deployments double in size, with up to 550 personnel deployed in Greece, 150 in Italy, 120 in Cyprus and 60 in Malta. In…

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