The international charity Save the Children yesterday warned that serious congestion in the camps for migrants in Greece is exposing thousands of Syrian children to risk after the number of immigrants arriving in the country more than doubled during the first half of this month. A report issued by the Council of Europe highlighted the difficulties faced by Syrians living outside refugee camps in Turkey including child marriage motivated by poverty and deteriorating living conditions.

Save the Children said that the average number of refugees and migrants arriving daily in Greece is at its highest since May and that this is “causing serious congestion in the camps on the islands and putting children at risk”.

The number of immigrants arriving during the first 14 days of the month of August has increased by 144 per cent compared to the same period during the month of July.

The charity also pointed out that closed camps and limited movement to the mainland mean that the facilities on the islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos are incredibly crowded.

In its report that was quoted by the German Press Agency, Save the Children said that “There are now more than 10,300 refugees and migrants, including approximately 3,800 children, stranded on a handful of Greek islands. This is forcing women and children to live in demoralising and unsafe conditions.”

The organisation called on the EU “to ensure that the inhumane treatment of refugees and migrants is immediately ended, particularly the vulnerable and unaccompanied children still detained in closed facilities, months after they arrived in Greece.”

Greece’s Coast Guard announced yesterday that it had rescued more than 300 migrants from the Aegean Sea during the past nine days after it rescued 59 people near the island of Kos. In addition to rescue operations, the Coast Guard also said that it had rescued 266 people from the Aegean Sea since the eighth of August. Two of these people were arrested and four boats were confiscated.