Turkey pushing Covid-infected migrants to cross into Greece, officials believe

Greek authorities have found out that numerous migrants in Turkey have been concentrating in the country's western seaside towns, as if ready to cross into neighboring Greece's islands in the Aegean Sea.

More worrying, sources that cannot be named but are considered reliable believe that Turkey has a plan to push migrants infected with the coronavirus to cross into Greece and other parts of Europe in the midst of the virus pandemic. According to the sources, these migrants, many of whom were also at the Pazarkule, or Kastanies, border crossing, have been transported from migrant camps in the hinterland.

Migrants' movement towards the Turkish shore is being facilitated and regulated by the Turkish police and gendarmerie.

The same Greek sources are calling Turkish flights over the islands of Lesvos and Chios and the land border in Thrace, a diversionary tactic.

Greek authorities have collected much of the information from open sources, such as NGOs who are active in helping migrants in Turkey enter Greece.

Turkey recorded 5,138 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, pushing the total to above 50,000 (52,167) since recording its first confirmed infection exactly a month earlier. There were an additional 95 fatalities raising the death toll to 1,101.