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Up to 7,000 migrants, refugees arriving daily in Greece in past week: IOM

Xinhua, October 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Up to some 7,000 migrants and refugees, up from 4,500 in September, have been arriving every day on Greek islands in the past week, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported Friday.

IOM indicated that this sharp increase may be attributed to the expected deterioration of weather conditions in the Mediterranean, making boat crossings from neighboring Turkey particularly dangerous.

Figures show that 70 percent of migrants and refugees who arrived on Greek soil last week immediately crossed into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at Greece's Idomeni border.

According to IOM interviews, migrants and refugees have to finance their own transport in Greece and reports show that nationality has become an important factor in determining the speed at which new arrivals can leave the islands and reach the FYROM border.

Many Syrians are able to travel faster from the islands to the border as they can afford it, whereas Afghans either have to work to save enough money or ask friends and relatives to help fund their travel plans, meaning that they spend more time in transit. Endit