Iraqis paid €2,000 each agree to leave Greece

Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas told reporters the Thursday flight was "the biggest voluntary return our country has ever carried out, and the biggest in Europe this year".

The scheme was first announced in mid-March by the European Commission, who at the time said the money would be used to help the migrants reintegrate into their own countries.

The project is being carried out jointly between the European Commission, the Greek authorities, and the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard agency, is also part of the return exercise.

Not everyone can sign up to it, as the scheme only applies to people who arrived on the Greek islands before January.

The aim is to help decongest the overcrowded islands.

Around 29,000 migrants remain spread throughout the islands as of 5 August, according to Greek government figures.

Almost 16,000 are on the Greek island of Lesbos, followed by Samos (5,500), Chios (4,100), Kos (2,200), Leros (1,400) with some 90 on other islands.

By comparison, the Aegean islands in March hosted over 41,000 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Of those, 21,000 were in Lesbos alone.

Malta and NGO rescues

The repatriations come amid meetings held between Maltese and Libyan authorities to further stem efforts by migrants to cross the central Mediterranean.

The Libyan interior ministry on Wednesday said moves were being made to shore up the Libyan Coast Guard.

In a separate statement, the Maltese government said they are ready, along with Turkey, to provide Tripoli "the necessary needs and equipment to upgrade the capabilities of the Libyan Coast Guard."

The coast guard regularly rounds up people at sea and returns them to Libya, where many end up in notorious detention centres.

Meanwhile, NGOS operating off the Libyan coast and in international waters disembark rescued migrants in European ports.

Tensions over disembarkation have flared with Malta and Italy both claiming their ports unsafe due to the pandemic.

On Thursday, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced a new rescue endeavour.

It will now collaborate with Sea Watch, a German NGO.

The two will be operating a new Sea-Watch 4 vessel in Mediterranean.

"No human being should be forced to endure torture and suffering. Yet this is the consequence of criminal dereliction of duty by European governments," said Oliver Behn, MSF director of operations.