Overcrowded migrant camp on Greek Samos island evacuated after violence, fire

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Overcrowded migrant camp on Greek Samos island evacuated after violence, fire

Author: Benjamin Bathke | infomigrants.net | 15 October 2019

At least three people were hurt in a clash between asylum seekers in a town on the Greek island of Samos. After mass violence erupted and fires broke out in the severely overcrowded migrant camp, Greek authorities evacuated the camp.

A mass brawl broke out between Afghan and Syrian residents of an overcrowded migrant camp on the Greek island of Samos on Monday night, forcing police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. That’s according to local media reports.

The violence, apparently between groups of Syrians and Afghans, erupted in the town of Vathy late on Monday. The situation escalated further when fires broke out in makeshift shelters around the camp, forcing a partial evacuation, according to the Greek broadcaster Skai.

"Half of the 6,000 people who are stuck in Vathy camp on Samos are women and children," medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a tweet Monday night, demanding that "Children and other vulnerable people must be evacuated from the Greek islands to safe accommodation." In another tweet, MSF said Tuesday that 600 people lost their shelters to the fire.

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