Clashes with police occur at migrant center in northern Greece
Clashes with police occurred at a temporary migrant accommodation center in Sintiki in northern Greece. During the incident, 35 people escaped from the center’s grounds after cutting through the perimeter fence, Deutsche Welle reports, citing authorities.
Escape and police actions
According to police, additional forces were sent to the center after migrants began throwing stones at law enforcement officers. The clashes continued until the early hours of Sunday.
During the clashes, law enforcement officers used flash-bang grenades. At least five migrants were injured and taken to hospital.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Police re-detained 17 of those who escaped from the center. The search for another 18 people was ongoing.
Center near the border with Bulgaria
The center in Sintiki is located several kilometers from the border with Bulgaria. It houses around 450 people while their applications are being considered. DW noted that this procedure may take a long time.
Greece is one of the main entry points for migrants into Europe. The country’s conservative prime minister has introduced stricter rules for deporting people whose asylum applications have been rejected. Greece and other EU countries are also negotiating with African countries over the possible establishment of centers for people with rejected asylum applications. International human rights groups have criticized the initiative.
