Greek ships continue evacuation of third-country citizens from Libya

Two more Greek ferries docked at Irakleio port on the island of Crete on Sunday morning carrying more than 4,200 third-country evacuees from Libya, the majority of them Chinese nationals.

    The first ship, the Hellenic Spirit, arrived in Iraklion port just before 9:00 a.m., carrying some 2,120 evacuees, while the second vessel, the Olympic Champion, arrived in port two hours later with another 2,130 evacuees on board.
    The foreign nationals were put up in local hotels until arrangements are made for their return to their home countries.
    A Greek ferry boat arrived at the port of Irakleio on Crete on Saturday morning with another 2,800 third country nationals evacuated from strife-torn Libya. Most of the foreign nationals were identified as Chinese citizens.

    Several thousand Chinese nationals have already been ferried from Libya to Crete, where they are being hosted until their repatriation.

    Meanwhile, the first flights to China carrying a total of 541 evacuees from Libya departed from Hania airport on Saturday afternoon.

    According to the Chinese ambassador to Greece, the massive repatriation effort to transport Chinese evacuees from Libya via Greece will take an estimated 10 days.

    Approximately 13,000-15,000 Chinese nationals working in Libya will be evacuated by Greek vessels to Crete, where they will be put up in hotels before boarding charter flights back home, following a request by the Chinese government to Greece.

source: ANA-MPA