Refugees and migrants confront riot police outside the Kara Tepe camp, on the island of Lesbos. Photograph: Elias Marcou/Reuters
The Guardian: Crisis in Lesbos as more refugees arrive
Greek island a ‘powder keg ready to explode’ as boat landings lead to tensions with local people.
Greek authorities are struggling to cope with rising tension on islands where pressure from a new influx of refugees and migrants has reached a critical point.
Friction is growing between local people and asylum seekers landing in boats from Turkey. Last week the region’s most senior official likened the situation on Lesbos to a “powder keg ready to explode”. Kostas Moutzouris, governor of the north Aegean, said: “It’s crucial that a state of emergency is called.”
More than 42,000 men, women and children are estimated to be on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos. Unable to leave because of a containment policy determined by the EU, they are forced to remain on the islands until their asylum requests are processed by a system both understaffed and overstretched.
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Update #1: Thousands of migrants clash with police as riot cops fire tear gas to disperse crowds protesting about refugee camp conditions on Lesbos (Daily Mail)
WNU Editor: This crisis is only going to escalate. Syria military forces launched a major military offensive a few weeks ago that has created a massive refugee crisis that in turn (I predict) will result in many trying to flee to Europe .... 500,000 flee Syrian regime's deadly offensive in Idlib (The Guardian).
Update #2: Refugee camps are always horrible places to live .... A doctor’s story: inside the ‘living hell’ of Moria refugee camp (The Guardian).
