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Syrian refugee in Greece smuggles son in suitcase

Authorities catch mother of two trying to get her 23-year-old boy from island of Lesbos to Greek mainland despite prohibition

By ToI Staff 4 March 2017, 6:46 pm

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Refugees and migrants arrive on a dinghy from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Lesbos, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

A family of Syrian refugees was arrested by Greek officials on the island of Lesbos Thursday after attempting to smuggle one of the family members to the mainland inside a suitcase.

The Syrian woman, 41, and her two sons were trying to board a ferry to Piraeus when they were caught, according to Greek media.

The woman had permission to travel around Greece freely, as she awaited her request for asylum to be considered. Her sons, however, did not.

The woman and one of her sons, aged 24, were trying to board the ship with a large suitcase, when coast guard officials became suspicious. They opened the bag to discover the woman’s second son, 23, curled up inside.

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The three were detained and reportedly taken back to their camp on the island.

More than 62,000 refugees and other migrants have been stuck in Greece since a series of Balkan border closures and a European Union-Turkey deal on stemming migration, according to Greek government data.

These include about 15,000 who reached eastern Greek islands after the March 2016 agreement, and aren’t allowed to travel to the mainland unless they successfully apply for asylum.