Kos (also spelt Cos) is a Greek island of the group of the Dodecanese, second most popular and touristy island after Rhodes.
Kos is mountainous, lush, with a 112 km long coastline lined with beaches making it a popular destination for European tourists.
Only two and a half nautical miles from the coast of Bodrum Turkey, Kos is one of the closest crossings by sea to the European Union for refugees and economic migrants making the journey by sea.
Several boats carrying at least 300 more migrants reached the island on Tuesday. The migrants - mainly Syrians and Afghans - have been picked up from overcrowded inflatable dinghies by Hellenic Coast Guard crews, who are trying to manage largely alone. A lack of facilities means some new arrivals are staying in a deserted hotel. Other islands where refugees have arrived include Lesbos, Chios and Farmakonissi.
According to Assocaited Press, the total of arrivals of migrants in Greece over the past two days comes to nearly 1,200. Italy,Malta and Greece has long been entry points for migrants who seek a better future in the EU. Most of the migrants entering Greece are from war-devastated Syria. Associated Press reported that approximately 30,000 migrants arrived in the EU country in 2015.
The EU Commissioner for Migration said Greece would be one of the first countries to take part in a relocation program, Euronews reports.
“We plan to propose to member states that the emergency mechanism be activated , so that a substantial number of asylum seekers can be re-settled from the front-line countries such as Greece to other EU member states,” Dimitris Avramopoulos said. The Commissioner added that Greece was “under extreme pressure and is facing serious problems”.