Almost 400 migrants disembarked on Sunday from a Turkish-flagged cargo ship that Greece allowed to dock in its territory despite claiming Turkey breached a deal made in 2016.
The ship sent a distress signal on Friday after its engines failed in international waters off Crete, said Greek authorities who allowed it to dock at the south-eastern Aegean island of Kos early on Sunday.
The Greek Coastguard said the migrants were taken to a reception centre on the island where Health Ministry experts put them in quarantine and tested them for the coronavirus.
The Migration Ministry said 382 people disembarked from the ship, with six of them detained for questioning.
Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told ERT TV that the migrants were mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The channel said some were also from Afghanistan.
Mr Mitarachi said Greece was frustrated with Turkey's refusal to call back the ship, even though it knew it had set sail.
"We have notified the EU that Turkey has refusing to take their vessel back," he said.
"Greece has rescued hundreds of thousands of people in the last seven years. It is time for the EU to act and provide impactful solidarity and ensure the EU-Turkey statement is upheld."
Brussels and Ankara signed a deal in March 2016 where Turkey was to sharply reduce the flow of migrants through its territory to Bulgaria and Greece, in return for billions of euros in financial aid.
Greece and Turkey have accused each other of failing to honour the agreement sealed after more than a million migrants and asylum seekers entered the EU in 2015.
The Greek islands of the eastern Aegean are a first EU port of call for waves of migrants and asylum seekers coming through Turkey.
On Tuesday, four migrants, two of them children, drowned after a boat sank off the island of Chios.
The vessel had set out from Turkey during strong winds, and none of the occupants had been given a life vest by the smugglers, the Greek Coastguard said.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
