Greek gov't steps up refugee evacuation from border region

The Greek government has stepped up efforts to gradually evacuate refugees from the squalid makeshift refugee camp of Idomeni at the border of Greece and Macedonia, an official told Xinhua, as people were bused to other destinations on Tuesday.

Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Tuesday that six buses with about 350 refugees and migrants aboard were set to leave Idomeni for other humanitarian centers.

"There will be no military-type operation and use of force in transferring the refugees to organized hospitality centers," said Yorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the Refugee Coordinating Committee, dismissing media reports that the launch of a major evacuation operation could cause tension and injuries.

"Actually the evacuation was slowly started last week and will be continued throughout this week... it should be over within the next few days," he said.

Greek officials are persuading refugees to agree to be transferred to other shelters with more humane conditions, according to the government.

At least six new centers in northern Greece have been set up recently with the capacity to accommodate 7,000 people, Kyritsis said.

Currently some 8,200 people are living in muddy tents in the camp of Idomeni, the largest unofficial camp in Greece, with inadequate food and medical assistance by NGOs.

They are among the 54,000 people who have been stranded in Greece since mid-February after the closure of borders along the Balkan Route to Central Europe.

So far most of the refugees insist on staying close to the border crossing, hoping that the borders will reopen someday so they can enter Central and Western Europe. Endi