Greek cruise ship begins registering migrants on island of Kos

KOS, Greece, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Dozens of Syrian migrants on the Greek island of Kos were directed to board a passenger ship Sunday.

The Eleftherios Venizelos, with capacity for 2,500 migrants, will provide temporary shelter and facilities to register and apply for formal refugee status.

Migrants onboard, mostly people fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, will be able to apply for other documents necessary to travel to other European locations. There are at least 1,000 migrants living in Kos.

At least 124,000 people have reached Greece's shores since January, according to the United Nations -- more than seven times the amount recorded in the same period last year.

Different groups clashed on Saturday as they were attempting to secure a position aboard the ship.

"Such a level of suffering should and can be avoided. The Greek authorities need to urgently designate a single body to coordinate response and set up an adequate humanitarian assistance mechanism. As Greece faces financial challenges the country needs help, European countries should support Greece on these efforts," Vincent Cochetel, the director of the bureau for Europe of the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement. "Greece and Europe need to lead the response to this crisis, which can be resolved only through more solidarity within and outside the EU and increased alternative means to reach Europe for refugees fleeing from violence."

Clashes broke out on Tuesday on Kos, where police resorted to using a sound bomb and locked migrants inside a soccer stadium overnight to maintain order.

Greek authorities were attempting to relocate and consolidate migrants who have been camping along roads and beaches in the island into a soccer stadium for registration before the ship was brought in.