Migrants drown in Greek waters after boat capsizes

Two migrants died early Friday when a speedboat overturned near the Greek island of Kos, the coastguard said, just days after authorities opened a new camp on the island.

The bodies of a man and a woman were recovered and three men were rescued after the speedboat overturned due "to high waves and poor handling," it said, without giving their nationalities.

The Greek government last Saturday opened new camps on Kos and the neighboring island of Leros. There are fears of a new migration wave owing to the crisis in Afghanistan.

The so-called "closed" camps feature barbed wire fencing, surveillance cameras, X-ray scanners and magnetic doors and gates that are closed at night. They also have running water, toilets and more security -- features that were absent from the previous facilities.

The European Union has committed 276 million euros (US$326 million) for the new camps.

NGOs and aid groups have raised concerns about the new camps, arguing that the movement of people should not be restricted.

According to latest UN estimates, there are currently around 96,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.

(AFP)