In a last ditch effort to avoid their relocation the refugees in Greece are applying en masse for asylum-More than 200 people are now stranded in the port of Chios; the scheduled departures of Tuesday and Wednesday for Dikeli in Turkey have been canceled due to the sudden disappearance of around 100 persons among those who were set to be transported-2.800 asylum petitions have been made in Lesvos-A sitting demonstration is held at the entrance of the Moria hot-spot-In Idomeni a group of refugee children marched to the iron fence between Greece and Fyrom
In order to delay their relocation to Turkey, more than two thousand refugees have applied for asylum in Greece in the island of Lesvos. This is expected to create further delays in the procedure of their relocation as Greece is bound by the Geneva Convention to examine each application individually. The deputy minister of defense D.Vitsas stated that the whole procedure should not take more than 15 days while even an official objection would not delay the entire process to beyond a month. It is understood that, should more of the refugees decide to follow that procedure the whole operation will be facing some serious logistical difficulties.
In Idomeni, where about 12000 people remain stranded in the hope that they will be allowed to pass the borders towards central Europe, a group of children marched on the railroad tracks towards Fyrom. Their main request was for the borders to open, A banner with the words “We are killed silently” was flown.