EU help for migrants so far not enough, Greece says

Greece’s European affairs minister says his country has repeatedly asked for European Union help to deal with the massive influx of refugees this year, but the response so far has been far less than what was needed.

Minister Nikos Xydakis said Friday that Greece had been "persistently" asking for technical help and manpower since May to tackle the arrival of more than 700,000 people who have passed through the country since January. He said EU member states and the EU itself had been unable to adequately respond to Greece’s needs.

Greece is the main point of entry into the EU of people fleeing war and poverty, the vast majority of who reach Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

The Greek government’s response to the refugee crisis has come under criticism from some EU officials. [AP]