UP

Protesters attack EU asylum offices

Home page World
12 Punto 14 Punto 16 Punto 18 Punto
Protesters attack EU asylum offices

Asylum-seekers attacked the premises of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) on the island of Lesbos on Monday, protesting against delays in dealing with asylum claims, Greek and EU authorities said.

About 70 people, most from Pakistan and Bangladesh, threw rocks and burning blankets at EASO containers inside the Moria migrant camp, damaging three of those, a Greek police spokesman for the island said.

EASO Spokesman Jean-Pierre Schembri said protesters had hurled petrol bombs while interviews with asylum-seekers were taking place. EASO staff had evacuated the camp.

"They burned our offices this morning ... The process will not resume for the time being," he said. "We have to evaluate security issues and in our view we need more presence of Greece police to be in place."

More than 15,000 asylum-seekers are living in overcrowded camps on Greek islands close to Turkey, stranded by a European deal with Ankara to seal the main route into the continent for a million refugees and migrants last year.

Asylum-seekers wait for weeks or months for their claims to be processed.

There are nearly 6,000 asylum-seekers on Lesbos alone, nearly double the capacity its two camps can handle. Violence and protests at the conditions there are frequent.

Date
2016.10.24 / 14:45
Author
Valeh Mammadli
See also

Russia strikes Burshtyn thermal PP in Ivano-Frankivsk

Body of contract serviceman found at Armenian military unit

Zelensky open to elections, confident of victory

Armenia bans journalist Seleznyov over security concerns

Iran detains 11 PJAK members in Kermanshah

EU and NATO bringing Europe closer to war

We did not start the war, Russia must end it

Ukrainian losses on 1,445th day of war

Knife attack injures several at Ufa university dormitory

Istanbul faces inevitable magnitude 7 earthquake

Latest
Xocalı soyqırımı — 1992-ci il Bağla
Bize yazin Bağla
ArxivBağla