Refugee aid groups attacked as tensions rock Greek island

EU diplomats head to Turkey, Greece amid migrant crisis

Several aid groups on Greece’s Lesbos said they were suspending work with refugees and evacuating staff yesterday in the wake of violence and threats, as tensions soar on an island in the crosshairs of the migrant crisis.

Greece has suspended asylum procedures and its troops have fired tear gas at migrants gathered at its land border with Turkey, after Ankara warned it would allow millions of refugees to enter Europe.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on EU leaders for their “strong support” ahead of crisis talks on Tuesday, as rights groups accused Turkey of using migrants and refugees as bargaining chips to bolster its Syria offensive.

While Greece’s land border has had the largest swell of migrants heading for the EU, the country has also seen a surge in the number of people attempting to make the short journey from Turkey’s coast by boat to its northern Aegean islands.

That has exacerbated an already combustible environment on Lesbos, where years of arrivals have seen more than 19,000 people crammed into squalid conditions in a camp built to house less than 3,000.

Fed up with shouldering the burden of Europe’s bloated asylum system, locals have protested against the presence of the migrants exiled on their shores, saying they threaten the island’s safety, public health and tourism-dependent economy.

That anger has spilled into violence in recent days, with attacks blamed on an extremist minority that have targeted aid workers and disrupted their ability to help refugees, according to several groups based on the island.

“Once night falls, there are nonstop attacks on NGOs, on workers, on people who are here as volunteers,” said Douglas Herman, co-founder of the organisation Refocus, which teaches media skills to refugees.

Another report from Istanbul adds: The EU dispatched its highest officials to Turkey and Greece yesterday amid concern over a fresh migrant crisis and allegations that Ankara was trying to “blackmail” the bloc by opening its borders to thousands of refugees seeking to flee to Europe.

Rights groups accused Turkey of using migrants and refugees as bargaining chips by pushing them towards the Greek border, but also slammed Europe for failing to provide greater assistance.

Thousands have arrived at the frontier since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that it would no longer stop them trying to enter Europe.

After fierce clashes with Greek police at the official crossing over the weekend, migrants said they were being dispersed along the narrow Evros river that separates the two countries. Braced against the winter cold, many wandered the fields along the water’s edge looking for a safe space to cross. They have faced tear gas and stun grenades from Greek police, while unconfirmed videos appeared to show coastguards beating and shooting near migrants packed on to boats.

One Afghan migrant, 21-year-old Sinan Yilmaz, said a friend had managed to reach Greek soil, but was quickly picked up by police.

 

Refugee aid groups attacked as tensions rock Greek island

EU diplomats head to Turkey, Greece amid migrant crisis

Several aid groups on Greeces Lesbos said they were suspending work with refugees and evacuating staff yesterday in the wake of violence and threats, as tensions soar on an island in the crosshairs of the migrant crisis. Greece has suspended asylum procedures and its troops have fired tear gas at migrants gathered at its land border with Turkey, after Ankara warned it would allow millions of refugees to enter Europe. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on EU leaders for their strong support ahead of crisis talks on Tuesday, as rights groups accused Turkey of using migrants and refugees as bargaining chips to bolster its Syria offensive. While Greeces land border has had the largest swell of migrants heading for the EU, the country has also seen a surge in the number of people attempting to make the short journey from Turkeys coast by boat to its northern Aegean islands. That has exacerbated an already combustible environment on Lesbos, where years of arrivals have seen more than 19,000 people crammed into squalid conditions in a camp built to house less than 3,000. Fed up with shouldering the burden of Europes bloated asylum system, locals have protested against the presence of the migrants exiled on their shores, saying they threaten the islands safety, public health and tourism-dependent economy. That anger has spilled into violence in recent days, with attacks blamed on an extremist minority that have targeted aid workers and disrupted their ability to help refugees, according to several groups based on the island. Once night falls, there are nonstop attacks on NGOs, on workers, on people who are here as volunteers, said Douglas Herman, co-founder of the organisation Refocus, which teaches media skills to refugees. Another report from Istanbul adds: The EU dispatched its highest officials to Turkey and Greece yesterday amid concern over a fresh migrant crisis and allegations that Ankara was trying to blackmail the bloc by opening its borders to thousands of refugees seeking to flee to Europe. Rights groups accused Turkey of using migrants and refugees as bargaining chips by pushing them towards the Greek border, but also slammed Europe for failing to provide greater assistance. Thousands have arrived at the frontier since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that it would no longer stop them trying to enter Europe. After fierce clashes with Greek police at the official crossing over the weekend, migrants said they were being dispersed along the narrow Evros river that separates the two countries. Braced against the winter cold, many wandered the fields along the waters edge looking for a safe space to cross. They have faced tear gas and stun grenades from Greek police, while unconfirmed videos appeared to show coastguards beating and shooting near migrants packed on to boats. One Afghan migrant, 21-year-old Sinan Yilmaz, said a friend had managed to reach Greek soil, but was quickly picked up by police.