Greece plans to deport migrants who arrived after March 1

FILE PHOTO: A boy stands next to a fence as migrants from Afghanistan who arrived the previous days, wait to be transferred to the port of Mytilene from the village of Skala Sikamias, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

KASTANIES/LESBOS (Reuters) - Greece will transfer migrants who arrived on its territory illegally after March 1 to the northern city of Serres and plans to deport back to their own countries, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said late on Wednesday.

Thousands of migrants have made for Greece since Ankara said on Feb. 28 that it would let migrants cross its borders into Europe, despite a commitment to hold them in its territory under a 2016 deal with the European Union.