Greek government weighs response to court ruling on migrants
A court decision allowing new migrants arriving on the Aegean islands to continue to the mainland has fueled concerns about a new crisis as the influx of migrants, both by land and sea, increases.
Government officials on Wednesday were weighing their response to the Council of State ruling. One possibility is for a new decision to be issued by the head of the Greek asylum service. However, there are bureaucratic hurdles: The new head has yet to assume his role and cannot sign such a decision.
Migration Ministry officials said on Wednesday that the transfer of migrants from the islands to the mainland would not be allowed, without elaborating.
Around 1,000 new migrants arrived in Greece in three days, according to official figures released yesterday. There are concerns about an influx from the land border.
Last month 1,658 migrants entered Greece through Evros compared to 262 in March last year.
