Another 604 migrants bound for deportation to be transferred to the mainland

The government on Friday began transferring a total of 604 migrants from the islands of Samos, Chios and Lesvos to closed facilities on the Greek mainland.

The transfer concerns people that entered Greece iafter March 1, 2020, when the government decided to suspend the asylum procedure for all new arrivals amid an influx of arrivals from the coast of Turkey.

The chartered passenger ferry Aqua Blue has already collected 131 migrants from Samos and is currently sailing for Chios, where it will collect another 284.

The ferry will then dock at the port of Mytilene, Lesvos, to take on a further 189 people.

Another 436 migrants have already been transferred to mainland Greece in a Greek Navy vessel.

All these migrants will be deported to their countries of origin.