Thousands of migrants at overcrowded migrant camps on the island of Lesbos in Greece should return to Turkey, the Greek government agreed a day after a deadly fire broke out at the Moria migrant camp.

By the end of 2020, Athens wants 10,000 migrants to return to Turkey, in a bid to ease pressure on the overcrowded camps, the government said in a statement following the four-hour Cabinet meeting.

The move signals a significant change in policy, as conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis takes a more hard-line approach to the migrant situation in the country.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits A view from above Moria refugee camp has a capacity of 3,000. Currently, some 14,500 refugees are squeezed into the infamous refugee camp, Greece's largest reception and identification center.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits Deep wounds A large majority of those who live in Moria have been deemed as vulnerable and are in need of immediate medical assistance. This girl from Gaza, who lives with her family in a tent in the olive grove outside Moria, was severely injured when an Israeli rocket hit her home.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits A false dawn? In August more than 2,800 people arrived in dinghies on the island of Lesbos. A boat carrying 40 people was brought into the port of Skala Sikamineas after it was intercepted by Frontex, the EU's border agency. Eight women and 18 children, including five unaccompanied minors, were on board along with 14 men, all from Afghanistan.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits The wait begins After the women and children have been transferred to a transit camp, 18 men wait to be taken away to the same camp by the authorities. Volunteers with the NGO Lighthouse relief assist the authorities in providing food and water to those who have recently arrived.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits Keeping the tradition alive An Afghan woman makes bread in a makeshift underground oven which she then sells for €1 ($1.10) to other refugees. Due to deteriorating conditions and food provisions that are below standard quality many refugees who remain for long in the camp of Moria have found new ways to pass the day and remember home.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits A soothing hand Countless refugees need urgent medical attention. Doctors without Borders operate an emergency clinic opposite Moria for the most urgent cases, as the main camp currently only has one doctor and the hospital of Mytilene is overwhelmed and in some cases unwilling to treat refugees.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits Discarded dreams A "graveyard" of life jackets and boats on the island's north is a stark reminder of the last huge influx of refugees in 2015/16. Lesbos has been at the center of the refugee crisis for years as thousands of people have landed on its shores. Currently there are more than 11,000 refugees spread across the islands. That number is expected to rise sharply by the end of the year.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits Monotonous routine Waiting in line has become the main daily activity for those stuck in Moria limbo — even for children. Some wait for hours in order to receive food and water.

Moria refugee camp: A new kind of hell awaits From the frying pan into the fire A group of refugees prepares to board a ship which will take them to mainland Greece. After the sudden arrival of 600 people in one night, the Greek government decided to transfer 1,400 people to the mainland. Most were taken to the camp of Nea Kavala in a remote village in northern Greece. Author: Dimitris Tosidis (Moira refugee camp)



In a statement, the Athens government said the 10,000 would be an increase from the "1,805 returned in the 4.5 years under the previous (left-wing) Syriza government."

Mitsotakis announced further measures such as more naval patrols in the Aegean, closing centers for migrants refused asylum, and plans to overhaul the asylum system, including building camps for those deemed "illegal" or who have been refused asylum.

Read more: Huge migrant influx scares off Greek island tourists

The meeting convened after a fire broke out at the Moria camp on Sunday, in which one woman died and 17 were injured. Moria is Europe's largest migrant camp, which has facilities for 3,000 people but houses around 13,000.

EU, not Turkey the answer to overcrowding

However, aid agencies argued that the solution should be EU-wide. Aid group Oxfam said that Sunday's fatal fire was a consequence of the EU's migration policy. "People arriving in Greece should be relocated to safe accommodation across the EU, not crammed into dangerous spaces where their life is at risk," said Renata Rendon, Oxfam's head of mission in Greece.

European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said on Monday, "The increased arrivals in Greece over the past weeks have put an immense strain on an already flawed system and are creating unsustainable conditions as we have already had the opportunity to point out in the past."

Read more: Greece's hospitals are ill-suited homes for kids

EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos will visit Greece and Turkey this week with the interior ministers of Germany and France to discuss the crisis.

Earlier in September, the German government called on Greece to repatriate migrants to Turkey, in addition to pressuring Turkey to honor its 2016 EU-Turkey pact allowing visa-free travel inside the EU for Turkish citizens in exchange for receiving migrants who illegally enter Europe via Turkey.

kmm/rc (AFP/dpa)

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