Refugee

Wealthy nations have only taken in a "pitiful" number of the millions of refugees uprooted by Syria's war, placing the burden on the country's ill-equipped neighbours, Amnesty International said Dec. 5.

In a statement ahead of a December 9 donors' conference in Geneva, the London-based rights group blasted as shocking the failure of rich nations to host more refugees.

The Greek Ombudsman on Thursday appealed to the government to take action to offer accommodation and support to refugees who have arrived in Greece from war-torn Syria.

The watchdog asked authorities to draft an “action plan” to address “the very real problems of people whose lives and safety are at risk in their homeland.”

Greece will ask Northern European countries if they are willing to grant asylum to some 200 Syrian refugees camped out on Syntagma Square but does not expect to receive a positive response, Interior Ministry general secretary Angelos Syrigos told Kathimerini Tuesday.

A lack of funds has forced the U.N. World Food Programme to stop providing food vouchers for 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the agency said Dec. 1.

The City of Athens called on Friday for the government to accept the asylum applications of a group of some 200 Syrians who have been camped on Syntagma Square in the city center for the last 10 days.

Some 200 Syrian refugees protesting in Athens on Friday asked to be allowed access to other European countries, fearing deteriorating conditions in crisis-hit Greece.
      

A photo showing a young female Syrian refugee trying to warm her hands with the heat from the exhaust of a public bus in Istanbul went viral on Nov. 27, revealing the desperate situation for Syrians who have fled their homes due to war.

Greece has sent a frigate to rescue a container ship believed to carrying hundreds of undocumented migrants and in distress off its southern island of Crete, the Greek coastguard said on Tuesday.

The Kiribati-flagged vessel, with about 700 people aboard, was sailing 30 nautical miles (55 km) southeast of Crete. The ship reported an engine problem in an area with strong winds.

The United Nations refugee agency has launched an anti-xenophobia media campaign calling on Bulgarians to "see refugees through different eyes".

Some 200 Syrian refugees protesting in front of Greek Parliament for the last six days went on hunger strike on Monday.

The protesters have taped shut their mouths as they demand asylum and medical assistance. One of the Syrian women taking part in the protest fainted on Monday and had to be taken to the hospital.