About 2,000 migrants from Syria disembark in Athens port; most aim to go to northern Europe

Migrants, who have reached the Greek eastern Aegean islands after crossing the Greek-Turkish sea borderline, wait outside a passenger ship following their disembarkation at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 14, 2015. An emergency European Union plan to help Italy and Greece manage thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean could be vastly watered down next week, diplomats said Friday. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) (The Associated Press)

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Migrants, who have reached the Greek eastern Aegean islands after crossing the Greek-Turkish sea borderline, hug a man following their disembarkation at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 14, 2015. Around 100,000 migrants have already arrived in Europe this year, many of whom crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy and Greece. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) (The Associated Press)

Migrants, who have reached the Greek eastern Aegean islands after crossing the Greek-Turkish sea borderline, disembark from a passenger ship at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 14, 2015. Around 100,000 migrants have already arrived in Europe this year, many of whom crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy and Greece. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) (The Associated Press)

ATHENS, Greece – About 2,000 migrants, who had been stranded for days in the Greek island of Lesbos, have arrived in the port of Piraeus, southwest of the capital Athens.

The migrants, who crossed over to Lesbos from Turkey, were brought into Piraeus Sunday by two Greek ferries.

Most headed for the center of Athens by train, although few have friends or relatives there who could take them in.

Many told Greek TV stations that they would like to travel on to Germany, or other European Union countries.

Greece is a close second to Italy in migrant arrivals this year.

During the first five months of 2015, 40,297 migrants arrived in Greece, up from 6,500 in the same period in 2014. Almost all of them have crossed in boats from Turkey.