Greece transfers almost 400 migrants from Lesbos island to mainland

Hundreds of asylum seekers have been transferred to mainland Greece from a refugee camp in Lesbos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

This is the first massive transfer of asylum seekers from the overcrowded Moria camp since the start of confinement imposed by the Greek government on March 23 amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The last massive transfer took place on March 20 with about 600 people involved.

In addition to the 392 people leaving Lesbos over the last few days, 2,000 others are set to be gradually transferred to mainland Greece in the coming weeks.

Greece has been dealing with a critical overcrowding situation in its Aegen Islands' refugee camps, which led to an increase in episodes of violence.

While the camps have around 6,200 places in total, almost 37,000 refugees are being hosted.

Lebos' Moria Camp, nicknamed "the jungle" hosts about 19,000 refugees, more than six times its capacity.

The country announced in February the construction of new camps to accommodate 20,000 asylum seekers, who will be limited to a three-month stay.

In the first quarter of 2020, about 10,000 migrants left the islands for the mainland, according to Greece's Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi.