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121. Thousands protest after Greek refugee camp burns down

Thousands of protesting refugees and migrants left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp gathered on a road leading to the island's main town Friday, demanding to be allowed to leave....

122. Fires erupt at Moria refugee camp

Thousands of migrants fled a camp under COVID-19 lockdown after multiple fires gutted much of the site on the Greek island of Lesvos, authorities said early Wednesday...

123. Police arrest eight ‘trespassers’ at Pournara

Police say they arrested eight trespassers at Pournara migrant camp on Tuesday night, with some of them reportedly holding edged weapons and blunt instruments...

124. Cyprus detects 10 new cases

The Cyprus health ministry announced 10 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, when 3,207 tests were conducted, bringing the total detected so far to 1,484....

125. 13 new coronavirus cases detected in Cyprus

Cyprus detected 13 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,318, the Ministry of Health announced....

126. Justice Ministry looking into life sentence penalty for forest arsonists

The Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis has proposed to the Ministry of Justice that the maximum penalty for forest arsonists gets hiked up to a life sentence, which, Kadis said, is the only move that can act as a deterring factor in a country where most forests fires are deliberately set....

127. Health ministry issues decree for asylum seekers

The health ministry has issued a new decree requiring all asylum seekers who are ordered to stay in migrant camps to be tested for COVID-19 before checking in...

128. Cyprus at zero new coronavirus cases for second day running

Cyprus stayed on course on Friday, recording zero new coronavirus cases for the second day running as all 1,538 samples checked for the virus came back negative....

129. Greece to open seven border crossings with Balkan countries, Turkey

Greece will reopen seven of its 14 border crossings in the north on Wednesday, as part of the country’s further reopening to tourists from abroad....

130. Interior minister presents bills for streamlining asylum procedures

The house legal committee discussed on Tuesday a bundle of four bills, submitted by interior minister Nicos Nouris, that seek to streamline procedures for the processing of applications filed by asylum seekers as well as appeal proceedings....

131. Racism, xenophobia rife in Cyprus, refugees say

A teleconference on Tuesday raised the multifaceted problems faced by refugees and asylum seekers on the island, such as racism and xenophobia, hardships during the coronavirus pandemic, and difficulties with integrating into Cyprus society....

132. Demonstration outside refugee camp sparks Government reaction

A demonstration staged outside the Pournara camp in Kokkinotrimithia on Sunday calling for an end to the arbitrary detention of hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers stirred reaction from the Government on Tuesday, with an Interior Ministry announcement claiming it won’t be allowing any further ghettoization of the island....

133. Migrant camp declared ‘local infected area’

Human rights advocates in the Republic of Cyprus are crying foul over the government's handling of asylum seekers at Pournara camp, after the health ministry declared the migrant centre a “local infected area” citing public health laws due to an infestation...

134. V-E Day marked the turning point towards a democratic, prosperous, and peaceful future

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Allied Victory in Europe in World War II - “V-E Day.” This is a day to remember and honor the shared sacrifice, enduring commitment, and unflinching bravery of the Allied forces and the underground movements in defeating Fascism in Europe. We also remember the immense sorrow and misery suffered by so many, and we recognize the bravery and sacrifice of tens of millions of civilians in the Second World War....

135. Six new cases announced as Cyprus awaits President's address

136. Coronavirus death toll and confirmed cases record small rise

The death of a 75-year-old man on Monday raised the coronavirus death toll to 15, while the confirmation of five new cases brought total known cases in the Republic of Cyprus to 822....

137. Conditions at migrant camps improving, but arbitrary detention issues remain

The UNHCR office in Cyprus said on Monday that it was pleased with the steps being taken to improve the living conditions of asylum seekers on the island, but expressed hope that additional measures will follow to tackle the multifaceted issues that emerged amid the coronavirus outbreak....

138. Report draws attention to migrant centres

A report published this week by Ombudswoman Maria Stylianou-Lottides takes stock of current conditions in migrant facilities in the Republic of Cyprus, pointing out medical challenges, problems associated with weather, and asylum issues...

139. Turkish secret services target Greek refugee camps

Turkey has been conducting secret missions in refugee camps and other places in Greece to gather information about critics of the Turkish government and supporters of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who have taken refuge in Greece, according to a publication by the Nordic Monitor website. ...

140. Greece to move over 2,300 refugees to mainland after Easter

Greek authorities will begin the gradual transfer of 2,380 asylum seekers and their families from island camps to accommodation facilities on the mainland after Orthodox Easter (April 19), the country’s Migration Ministry said Thursday. ...

141. UNHCR steps in to ensure refugees in Cyprus receive proper protection

The UNHCR office in Cyprus has stressed that refugees must be included in the government’s planning and response to the Covid-19 pandemic, offering hands-on solutions to the myriad problems in the government’s handling of refugee and asylum procedures that have only been exacerbated by the current crisis....

142. Greece's response to coronavirus working, Mitsotakis tells CNN

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the measures his government has taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus appear to be working and thanked the Greek people for their cooperation, conceding however that “the hard work is still ahead of us.”...

143. Migrant camps on Greek islands put on lockdown

No visitors, including members of organizations and agencies, will be allowed into the migrant reception and processing centers on the Greek islands for the next two weeks at least, the Migration Ministry said yesterday, announcing a series of measures to prevent a coronavirus outbreak in any of the facilities....

144. Coronavirus hits Cypriot armed forces

Two high ranking military officers have tested positive for the coronavirus, while the entire camp of commandos in Stavrovouni has been placed under quarantine over a suspected case of a soldier...

145. President: Partial lockdown of airports, schools to remain closed until April 10

President Nicos Anastasiades addressed the nation on Friday night after the week saw cumulative confirmations of coronavirus cases across the divide....

146. EU-backed program foresees voluntary repatriation for 5,000 migrants

Migration Policy Minister Notis Mitarakis and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Thursday jointly announced the establishment of a European Union-backed program for the repatriation of 5,000 migrants from Greece. ...

147. Health Minister issues decree banning gatherings of over 75 persons

A decree issued by the Health Minister on Wednesday solidified the government decision to ban public and private gatherings of over 75 persons....

148. Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there is “no difference” between Nazis and the Greek authorities trying to hold the country’s border against the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees spurred to push into the European Union by Ankara....

149. Berlin to take up to 100 children from Greek refugee camps

Berlin will take in 80 to 100 children from Greek refugee camps, an official in the German capital said on Tuesday, as concern mounts about migrants amassing on the Turkish-Greek border....

150. Greek islanders strike over new migrant camps, government says no alternative

Greek island residents went on strike for a second day on Thursday, stepping up protests against government plans for new migrant camps on five islands after violent clashes with police....