Clashes at refugee shelters continue

The police presence on Greece’s Aegean islands and at Idomeni on its northern border is to be strengthened after clashes between refugees and migrants, as well as authorities, and fears that tensions will rise as the return of people to Turkey gets under way next week.

Police chiefs held an emergency meeting Thursday after clashes at the refugee center at the port of Piraeus involving dozens of refugees and migrants and incidents at island hot spots.

A decision was taken to send 150 officers to Lesvos, Samos and Chios. Another 105 policemen will be assigned to the Kilkis police directorate, which is responsible for maintaining law and order at the Idomeni camp.

While the refugee flow from Turkey to the Greek islands continues, the refugees and immigrants throughout Greece protest against the EU-Turkey agreement and the closed borders.
51,393 refugees and immigrants are currently in Greece, according to the refugee crisis management coordination body, with 5.337 of them being stuck at the Greek islands.
Seven buses carrying about 350 Syrian refugees, mainly families with young children, arrived shortly after 6pm at abandoned LM Village in Myrsini, Kyllini, which will be used as a refugee center.