Travel agents warned not to sell migrants tickets for Idomeni
Shipping Minister Theodoros Dritsas has asked Greek travel agents not to sell refugees bus tickets to the border region of Idomeni in northern Greece after a spate of incidents of migrant exploitation by opportunists.
According to reports by refugees and migrants, several travel agencies on the islands have been selling ferry tickets to the mainland with connecting bus tickets to Idomeni.
In many cases, refugees said they were charged 50 euros for the bus journey, while in other cases the tickets proved to be bogus.
The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (FEDHATTA) issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the agencies implicated in the scams are not members of their association.
“The country’s tourism agencies that are represented by FEDHATTA nationally are known for their professionalism and ethos and in no way should they be made into a scapegoat,” it said.
Meanwhile, another man was arrested in Piraeus on Wednesday for driving a tourist bus carrying refugees without having the prerequisite license.
The 46-year-old man was nabbed with 45 refugees on board heading for Idomeni.
