Tension broke between migrants at the port of Mytilene, Greece, on Wednesday morning, June 17, due to the suffocating situation on the island.
The incident occurred when two migrant groups started a brawl that caused several injuries, with about 10 people taken to the local hospital. A pregnant woman was among the injured.
Eventually, the situation got completely out of control, with migrants surrounding the Greek Coast Guard offices and trapping officers inside.
However, the port and police officers’ calm reaction brought the situation under control.
After the episodes, around 1,000 immigrants protested holding placards and shouting slogans. The island’s inhabitants noted that the unsettling situation and tension have almost become part of their daily routine.
Mytilene is one of the many Greek islands receiving thousands of illegal migrants from the Turkish coast. After the war in Syria and the tension that broke across the Middle East, the number of migrants has significantly increased, causing great problems to Greek authorities and flooding Greek detention centers. As a result, a large number of migrants are forced to live on the streets or even camp out at the port.
Just a few days ago, two ferries transferred some 2,000 migrants from Mitilene to Piraeus. Upon their arrival, the migrants were left to fend for themselves and eventually ended up in downtown Athens, where they remained awaiting State help.
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