Frontex has offered Greece to increase the number of screening officers on the islands of Lesbos and Kos to help the country handle and register the unprecedented number of people arriving from Turkey.
The screeners play a key role in helping the Greek authorities to determine the nationality of the incoming migrants in order to identify and register them.
“Greece is facing a critical migratory situation. By increasing the number of officers who help identify and register the people coming to Lesbos and Kos, our objective is help the Greek authorities by easing the pressure on the islands,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
On Lesbos, which has been under particular strain in recent weeks, Frontex has offered to more than double the number of screening teams consisting of a screener and a translator to 10 from the current four. This would allow two teams to be working 24 hours/day, seven days a week.
Frontex would also deploy one additional team on Kos to have three teams operating on the island.
The proposed deployments could take place immediately.