NEWS

More than 45,000 refugees and migrants left Lesvos in last 12 days

More than 45,000 refugees and migrants left Lesvos in last 12 days

Lesvos’ Port Authority said on Wednesday that 45,875 refugees and migrants have been transported from the island to Greece's mainland in the last 12 days, showing the size of the task that local officials are grappling with.

According to the data, the bulk of these refugees traveled from September 25 to October 6 with regular ferries to Piraeus, while 5,000 of them choosing the northern port of Kavala. The largest number of refugees - 6,920 - were recorded on October 5.

A Port Authority official said fluctuations in the daily numbers of passengers are due to weather conditions in the region. “Good weather conditions, such as those of recent days, increase the flow of migrants and refugees which has resulted in the inclusion of the ferry ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ [to help manage the transportations],” the official said.