Greece appeals again for help over Syria refugees

Greece has appealed to EU partners for logistical help to implement a deal with Turkey meant to stem an influx of refugees and other migrants into Europe, as people — many unaware of the tough new rules — continued to come ashore on Greek islands.

Economically battered Greece, for months at the epicentre of Europe’s biggest migrant crisis since the Second World War, is struggling to mount the massive logistics operation needed to process asylum applications from the many hundreds of refugees still arriving daily along its shoreline.

Turkish officials arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos yesterday to help realise the deal, which requires new arrivals from March 20 to be held until their asylum applications are processed and for those deemed ineligible to be sent back to Turkey from April 4 onwards.