- Title: Migrants on Greece's Chios island go on rampage
- Date: 17th November 2016
- Summary: CHIOS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF CONTAINERS IN CAMP ON FIRE BROKEN WINDOW OF A GAS STATION IN TOWN HOLE IN BROKEN WINDOW OF GAS STATION RIOT POLICE WALKING DOWN STREET WITH SHIELDS AND HELMETS VARIOUS OF SMASHED CAR WINDOW BROKEN GLASS ON THE GROUND TOPPLED RUBBISH BINS RIOT POLICE WALKING DOWN STREET AMBULANCE IN STREET WITH LIGHTS FLASHING RIOT POLICE VAN ON STREET WITH LIGHT FLASHING LOCAL RESIDENT STANDING ON BALCONY SHOUTING (Greek): "THE POLICE DID NOT COME TO TAKE THEM AWAY. THEY WERE HOLDING STICKS, JUMPING ACROSS COURTYARDS AND RUNNING UP AND DOWN (THE STREETS) AND CAUSING DAMAGE, AND THE POLICE WERE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. I PHONED THE POLICE THREE TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME THE POLICE OFFICERS WERE ELSEWHERE. WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE IS THAT?" LINE OF RIOT POLICE OFFICERS WITH SHIELDS WALKING DOWN STREET
- Embargoed: 2nd December 2016 13:23
- Keywords: migrants refugees Chios Greece islands asylum trapped fire
- Location: CHIOS, GREECE
- City: CHIOS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158U2OUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of migrants from a makeshift camp on Chios island went on a rampage in the town late on Wednesday (November 16) smashing cars and shops and setting containers in the camp on fire, police said.
The migrants from Souda camp, which houses more than 800 people, broke into a nautical goods store and stole marine flares, which they then used to set alight four containers in the camp which were full of supplies, such as blankets and clothing, as well as asylum documents.
Moving into the town, they attacked four cars with rocks and sticks, including one police car, a police source said. The wooden shutters from two residential houses were also damaged by fire from flares that had been set off, while the windows of a gas station were also broken. Clashes with riot police ensued and 37 people were detained.
Souda camp is located next to the town of Chios, set up by the municipality in a drained moat of a medieval fortress, and includes 4,000 migrants from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria.
Frustration among migrants trapped in camps on Greek 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.
A fire tore through tents in Souda camp during a protest in June, and infighting is frequent at night. In October the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) on the island of Lesbos was set on fire, while on the same island in September tents burned to the ground in another camp fire.
Those that 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, most of which want to continue to other European countries. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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