Greece plans to deport migrants who arrived illegally after March 1

Athens will transfer migrants who arrived on its territory illegally after March 1 to the northern city of Serres then plans to deport them back to their countries of origin, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said.

Thousands of migrants have made for Greece since Ankara said on February 28 that it would let migrants cross Turkey's borders into Europe, despite a commitment to hold them on its territory under a 2016 deal with the EU.

Mitarachi also said late on Wednesday migrants who entered the country prior to January 1, 2019 and are living on certain islands would be transferred to the mainland in the coming days.

Greece announced on March 1 that it would not accept any new asylum applications for a month, following the build-up of migrants at the border. This has triggered criticism from human rights agencies, Reuters said.