Coronavirus Strands Campers In Greece

On a beach near the Greek port of Igoumenitsa, a group of camper van holidaymakers watch forlornly as the ferries they cannot board because of coronavirus restrictions come and go

Igoumenitsa, Greece, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2020 ) :On a beach near the Greek port of Igoumenitsa, a group of camper van holidaymakers watch forlornly as the ferries they cannot board because of coronavirus restrictions come and go.

"It's as if the ferries are mocking us," says Beatrice Fillon, a Frenchwoman who arrived in Greece in early February with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

"It's infuriating. We see three or four ferries passing but they are exclusively reserved for goods," adds Damien Pennes, a virtual reality designer from the south of France.

They are part of a group of around 20 people stranded at the campsite after Greece closed its northern borders in mid-March and cut passenger ferry connections to Italy.

And Igoumenitsa is Greece's busiest port to Italy.

The French embassy in Athens estimates there are around 100 French nationals camper van owners in addition to other European campers stuck in Greece.

Most of them are in western Greece, hoping to board ferries to Italy as soon as restrictions are lifted.

But this is unlikely to happen for weeks. The Greek government has imposed restrictions to the end of April.

Over 12,000 EU citizens have been repatriated by the bloc's civil protection RescEU mechanism.

But this group of travellers has declined offers to fly home as it would mean leaving their vans behind.

But after weeks of waiting, some are getting concerned.

"We are stuck here without supplies... fear is starting to set in," says Pennes.

Alan Henderson, a 55-year-old from Norfolk, England is more sanguine.

"We're here to stay, we have everything we need," he says, looking across the Ionian Sea.

"It's a wonderful place to be stuck. We are very lucky to be where we are."