Thousands of Greek protesters have taken to the streets to demand that asylum seekers be deported from the islands following reports of overcrowding and violence at the refugee camps. Three islands Lesbos, Samos, and Chios have staged a general strike which involved shutting down shops and public services as well as holding rallies. Reports say the protesters were shouting: “We want our islands back; we want our lives back”. A pensioner aged 72 on the Island of Lesbos named Efstratios Peppas demanded that the asylum-seekers be shared out across Greece and the rest of Europe as well as adding “You can’t walk alone outside after dark, people get stabbed”.
The largest camp of asylum seekers is Moria on Lesbos island. The camp has a with a capacity of 2,840 people but hosts more than 19,000 asylum seekers. The Greek government announced plans in November to build larger camps on Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, which currently hold a total of nearly 42,000 migrants and refugees’ outbreaks of violence are frequent. The day of protest was organised by regional figures who plan to travel to Athens today to present their demands to the government. According to the U.N. refugee agency nearly 75,000 people crossed illegally into the Greece, an EU member from Turkey in 2019, an increase of nearly 50% from the previous year.
Two young asylum-seekers have been fatally stabbed in violence at the Moria camp this month. An 18-year-old Afghan girl was also seriously injured in a knife attack this week and remains in hospital. In addition to this three asylum-seekers in Greek custody have committed suicide in recent weeks. Greece last year became the main entry into Europe for migrants and refugees, many fleeing war or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Syria. With austerity and a highly unstable economy still ravaging the country these are extremely concerning times for Greek and EU officials.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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