- Title: Petrol bombs hurled at migrants camp in Greece
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: CHIOS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 17, 2016) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FIRE BURNING IN CAMP, MIGRANTS RUNNING AND SHOUTING MIGRANTS TRYING TO PUT OUT FIRE WITH BLANKETS, CLOTHING MIGRANTS LEAVING TENT COVERING THEIR NOSES FROM SMOKE FROM FIRE ROCKS ON THE GROUND IN TENT VARIOUS OF THE ROOF OF TENT WITH HOLES FROM WHERE ROCKS FELL THROUGH ROCKS ON THE BLANKETS AND SLEEPING BAGS INSIDE A TENT BURNED GROUND AND BURNED ITEMS FROM FIRE MIGRANTS WHO FLED CAMP SITTING OUTSIDE A TAVERN A WOMAN AND CHILD SITTING ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE TAVERN ON A BLANKET, OTHERS SITTING AROUND HER CHILD LEANING BACK ON HER MOTHER CHILDREN AND OTHERS LYING UNDER SLEEPING BAGS AND BLANKETS ON THE GROUND AGAINST THE WALL OF THE TAVERN FOOT OF MIGRANT PROTRUDING FROM BLANKET MIGRANTS SITTING AND LYING AROUND TAVERN MIGRANT WRAPPED IN A SLEEPING BAG ON THE GROUND BOY SMILING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOHAMMED AL JAZEER, FROM SYRIA, SAYING: "They put two molotov. And when you put this fire, and people was very dangerous, you come here to the restaurant, because it's very hard, very bad inside." MIGRANTS WHO FLED CAMP SITTING ON STREET IN FRONT OF TAVERN AND IN AREA AROUND TAVERN MIGRANTS WHO FLED CAMP WARMING THEIR HANDS IN FRONT OF A FIRE THEY MADE WITH PIECES OF WOOD WOOD BURNING IN FIRE VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SITTING AROUND FIRE, SOME WITH BLANKETS AROUND THEIR SHOULDERS, OUT IN THE OPEN
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 14:51
- Keywords: migrants Greece Chios camp fire refugees
- Location: CHIOS, GREECE
- City: CHIOS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158Z2XC7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Unknown attackers threw petrol bombs into a makeshift migrants camp on the Greek island of Chios on Thursday (November 17), police officials said on Friday (November 18).
In a second night of tensions in the camp, petrol bombs were thrown into Souda camp, housing more than 800 migrants, setting a container cabin on fire.
Shortly afterwards, a group of about 30 people attacked migrants standing at the entrance to the camp, police said. Two migrants were slightly injured.
Migrants in the camp said rocks were also thrown at the tents in the camp.
The unrest sparked hundreds of migrants to flee the camp and seek shelter overnight on the streets and outside a nearby tavern. Women and children could be seen lying on blankets and in sleeping bags outside the tavern.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR condemned the attack.
"Following an attack against the residents of Souda with Molotov cocktails and heavy stones on Thursday night and other violent incidents earlier this week, several tents burned and serious damages were caused to the shelter of many men, women and children escaping from war-torn countries," a UNHCR statement said.
Amnesty International called on police to investigate the incident.
"For the last two nights, suspected right-wing extremists have thrown petrol bombs, stones and rocks down on the camp from castle walls, causing injuries and panic," a statement by the organization said.
Souda camp is located near the town of Chios, set up by the municipality in a drained moat of a medieval fortress.
On Wednesday (November 16), migrants from the same camp went on a rampage in the town smashing cars and shops, and set containers on fire in the camp.
Frustration among migrants trapped in camps on the islands and the mainland has been growing as they wait months for a reply to their asylum requests.
The European Union has agreed to relocate thousands of migrants who qualify for asylum, but the process has been slow. Those who do not qualify are to be sent back to Turkey from where they crossed into Greece by sea.
There are more than 60,000 migrants in Greece, more than 4,000 alone are in Chios. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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