ATHENS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government announced a series of measures aimed at making the management of the flow of refugees and migrants more effective in the wake of Sunday's deadly fire at Moria refugee camp on Greece's Lesbos island, which killed an Afghan woman.
Amid the recent surge in migrant flows from Turkey that has increased pressure on the island "hotspots" in the northern Aegean Sea, the government reiterated its commitment to step up efforts to decongest the overcrowded reception facilities.
It also urged Greece's European partners to provide further assistance to tackle the challenge.
Greece will tighten border controls by increasing sea patrols, speed up asylum procedures and create closed pre-departure centers for those entering the country illegally who are not eligible for asylum or whose application has been rejected, government spokesperson Stelios Petsas said in an e-mailed statement.
Moreover, repatriation procedures will be accelerated and thousands of asylum seekers will be gradually transferred to the mainland in continuation of efforts already underway.
About 250 people were due to leave Moria and Lesbos island by Monday evening, Deputy Citizens' Protection Minister Lefteris Economou told a press briefing on the island, according to the Greek national news agency AMNA.
The Greek official confirmed the death of an Afghan woman as a result of two fires, which broke out within 20 minutes at the camp on Sunday followed by scuffles between groups of residents and police.
She was residing with other Afghans in one of the eight containers that burnt down in the blaze.
A total of 17 refugees and migrants, including a child and an infant, were lightly injured, as well as three police officers and one firefighter, he said.
Based on the evidence collected so far by the Fire Brigade, there was nothing to indicate arson and the fire appeared to have started in an area used as kitchen, he noted.
