Greece’s Coast Guard, using guidelines under the New Democracy government not to allow more refugees and migrants into the country, kept an inflatable boat full of them from reaching the island of Lesbos.

Also forced back, said Kathimerini, was a Turkish Coast Guard boat said to be escorting the migrants, again violating terms of an already essentially-suspended 2016 swap deal with the European Union.

Greek authorities had been on alert for Turkey using the cover of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic to try to flood Greek islands with more refugees and migrants as they struggle to deal with some 42,000 in detention centers and camps.

After a while, the Turkish boats accompanied the migrants back to the Turkish boat, without ever crossing into Greek territory, the paper said.

Turkey has become more belligerent after failing to be able to get 10,000 migrants across the northern land border with Greece, which closed its side and sent riot police and Army units to keep them out.