Greek gov't scrambles to find shelter for trapped refugees

Greece's government put a cap on the refugee flow from the Aegean Sea islands to allow time to build more reception centers to accommodate refugees on the mainland, Shipping Minister Thodoris Dritsas said on Friday, the same day NATO's operations to stem the influx from Turkey began.

At least three chartered ships, that have been transferring refugees from the islands to Piraeus port in recent months from Friday to Sunday, will remain docked at Lesvos, Chios and Samos islands to temporally provide shelter to people, Dritsas announced.

The measure was taken because of restrictions in the movement of refugees introduced by several countries along the Balkan route to central Europe that have left some 20,000 desperate refugees trapped in Greece this week, according to Greek Migration Policy Ministry estimates.

In addition to the four hot spots on the Greek islands and two reception centers constructed in the mainland in recent months, Greek authorities are working nonstop to set up five more temporary hosting facilities in old military camps across the country, according to Defense Minister Panos Kammenos.

However, most of the refugees who risked their lives to cross the Aegean paying thousands of euros to traffickers do not want to stay in Greece for more than a few days.

Determined to continue their journey to northern Europe, they ignore warnings that only 100 people on average since Wednesday are allowed to cross into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), they leave the reception centers and continue their trip to the border crossing of Idomeni between Greece and FYROM by all means possible -- even on foot.

More than a million refugees and migrants have landed on the Greek islands since the start of 2015 on their way to northern Europe.

Hundreds of refugees, including families with children dragging their luggage, are attempting to reach the FYROM border walking hundreds of kilometers.

Some set off from central Greece on Thursday to cover 250 km, while about 300 people began the journey from Athens on Friday to walk 550 km.

Greece puts the blame for the heart-wrenching images mainly on Austria's government for triggering a domino effect by introducing strict limits on refugees coming into Austria a few days ago.

On Thursday, Greece recalled its ambassador to Austria in protest after filing a formal complaint over "unilateral actions."

Furthermore, Athens turned down a request by Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner to visit Athens to give explanations, Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Friday, citing diplomatic sources. According to the report, Greece requests that Austria should first lift its "unilateral measures."

In parallel, Greece is pushing for the implementation of the agreement Europe reached with Turkey in late 2015 for the management of the refugee crisis, hoping that steps such as NATO's involvement in the monitoring of the refugee influx in the Aegean Sea will improve the situation.

The operation, under German command, started on a small scale on Friday and more NATO forces will be deployed in coming weeks, according to the Greek Defense Ministry.

The Canadian frigate HMCS-Fredericton is sailing off the coasts of Lesvos island on Friday, AMNA reported, as the German vessel FGS-BONN sails on the way to central Aegean from Crete island.

The Greek frigate Salamis and the Turkish frigate TCG-Barbaros-(F-244) were to join in after refueling. Enditem