Refugee and illegal immigrant flows from Turkey rise

According to data published in newspaper Elegtheros Typos, on the 30th of June this year, a total of 3,122 people crossed into Greece from Turkey, in comparison to 2,439 in the corresponding month of 2018 and 2.012 in 2017.

An increase is also recorded in the first days of July with the number of migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey in the first seven days of this month standing at 981 people when the corresponding number over the same period last year was 571.

The total of illegal immigrants and refugees nationwide amounts to 80,000, with five islands in the eastern Aegean Sea bearing the brunt of the flow, as the number crossing from Turkey into the islands is estimated to be double the amount the receptions centres can accommodate.

So far, only 79 returns have been recorded in 2019 in accordance with the EU-Turkish plan. In 2018 there were 332, in 2017 683 immigrants were returned and in 2016 there were 801 returns.