Greece Sends Ship To Process Kos Refugees

The Greek government has chartered a cruise ship to help process the mass of refugees who are arriving at the resort island of Kos.

Local authorities are struggling to cope with a big increase in the number of arrivals, most of whom have fled conflict in Syria.

The Greek minister of state, Alekos Flabouraris, said the ship would dock at the island's main port and be converted into a reception centre to process the refugees. It is expected to arrive on Friday.

The island's mayor has praised the efforts of local police who have been working around the clock to issue temporary travel papers, but it is estimated thousands more are still waiting on Kos.

The migrants need the paperwork to travel onward through Europe, with many saying they want to head to Germany.

The Reality On Kos: Two Worlds Side-By-Side?

"About 700-1,000 people are being registered everyday, and I believe that most of the people here will have been registered by the weekend, and the situation will no longer be so intense," Kos mayor Giorgos Kyritsis said.

Extra police are being dispatched from Athens and nearby regions to help out.

In recent days police have been accused of a heavy-handed approach and authorities of "state abuse" as hundreds of migrants waited in sweltering temperatures inside a locked stadium.

No food, water and only a few toilets were available as the migrants waited to be processed.

Officers also fired tear gas outside the stadium and were alleged to have beaten some migrants inside the facility - including children.

An official with the Doctors without Borders medical charity said while the situation had improved since earlier in the week, more needed to be done to help the refugees.

"There is still no care being provided for the refugees," Vangelis Orfanoudakis said.

"Simply, the administrative process is more humane. But these people are getting no support, and no information on what they need to do."

Greece has become a popular landing point for refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East, and has already recorded a 750% increase in arrivals this year.

But the cash-strapped country is struggling to deal with the situation and has called on other European countries to help out.

More than 200 people arrived on dinghies on Thursday. Most refugees are sleeping rough on the streets of the tourist island.