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Greek Riot Police Reportedly Fire Tear Gas at Lesbos Migrants

© AFP 2023 / ANGELOS TZORTZINISRefugees and migrants from the Moria camp protest near Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos, on September 12, 2020, a few days after a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp
Refugees and migrants from the Moria camp protest near Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos, on September 12, 2020, a few days after a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp - Sputnik International
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A huge blaze destroyed the overcrowded Moria facility in the early hours of Wednesday, leaving nearly 13,000 migrants without shelter. According to Greek media, the fire could have been caused by arson. The fire broke out after reports emerged that 35 residents of the camp had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Police on the Greek island of Lesbos have used tear gas against migrants who threw stones during a protest to demand shelter after the local camp of Moria burned down, AFP reported on Saturday.

Police fired rounds of teargas when some of the protesters attempted to march down a road leading to the island's port of Mytilene, which police had blocked while work on the new tent settlement continued nearby.

Earlier in the day, migrants started blocking roads to protest against the living conditions and reports about the creation of a new temporary camp after a fire destroyed the Moria refugee camp where they had been living.

The first blaze broke out in Moria late on Tuesday and several others followed throughout Wednesday. The fire rapidly destroyed more than 60 percent of the buildings and tents of the camp, forcing the 12,700 residents to seek refuge on the beaches or further out of the camp.

Commenting on the incident, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi stated that the fire was started by asylum seekers "because of the quarantine imposed."

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