Greece moves first 100 refugees out of overcrowded camp on Lesvos Island

Greek authorities moved the first 100 asylum seekers out of the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on Lesvos Island on Friday.

The refugees were transported by ferry and arrived on the Greek mainland later the same day.

They will be sent to a newly built camp, which has a capacity of 1,200 people, in the Volvi area of Thessaloniki.

Larger scale departures of up to 400 people at a time will take place next week. The refugees will be transported to Kavala or Piraeus by ferry, and then be sent to Volvi or the Katsika camp in the Ioannina area.

The Greek Ministry of Migration Policy announced its plan on Tuesday to relocate 2,000 asylum seekers from the camp, most of whom are seniors, women and children, sick people, and other vulnerable groups, by the end of the month.

Thousands of refugees and migrants are still arriving at Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast. Between Friday and Sunday, more than 600 reportedly reached Lesbos alone.