In Pictures: Migrant surge overwhelms Greece

SUMMARY

Greece's eastern islands are struggling to cope with a surge in arrivals of migrants and asylum-seekers that has undermined efforts to ease severe overcrowding at refugee camps.

By APOct 16, 2019 3:16:57 PM IST (Published)

Greece's eastern islands are struggling to cope with a surge in arrivals of migrants and asylum-seekers that has undermined efforts to ease severe overcrowding at refugee camps. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The number of people reaching Lesbos, Samos, and other Greeks islands in the eastern Aegean Sea is the highest since the European Union reached a 6 billion-euro agreement in 2016 to prevent migrants from leaving the coast of Turkey and heading to the EU. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Dinghies carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere are reaching the islands despite enhanced coast guard patrolling in recent weeks supported by the Greek military. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

This is exacerbating problems at crowded refugee camps. A deadly fire at the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos on September 29 triggered riots at the site, which is at 400% capacity. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The Greek government promised to accelerate transfers to the mainland and expand the network of camps there. But those transfers have so far been outnumbered by new arrivals on the islands.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Human rights group Amnesty International has described Moria as "overcrowded and unsafe" and urged other European Union countries to help Greece settle asylum-seekers. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Authorities fear that if the arrival numbers remain high through October, a winter crisis will be difficult to avoid. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Authorities fear that if the arrival numbers remain high through October, a winter crisis will be difficult to avoid.( AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece's new conservative government says it also plans to detain migrants without the right to request asylum and wants to resume deportations back to Turkey under terms detailed in the 2016 EU-Turkey deal. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Tombstones marking the graves of migrants and refugees who drowned at sea while crossing from nearby Turkey are seen at a cemetery near the village of Kato Tritos on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Life vests are seen on a beach at the seaside village of Tsonia, Lesbos island, Greece after the arrival of refugees and migrants on a rubber boat from Turkey. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Exhausted Afghan youths sleep on the ground near the town of Madamados after their arrival with other migrants and refugees on a rubber boat from Turkey, at Lesbos Island, Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)