Clashes among refugees, garbage bins on fire, presence of riot police and EU asylum staff that left the hot spot of VIAL on the island of Chios. The incidents broke out after a group of refugee women protested the slow asylum procedures outside the mobile offices of EASO, the European Asylum Support Office –
According to the local news website PolitisChios.gr, it all started when a Syrian female refugee complained to EASO staff, the reactions among other refugees escalated and the woman’s relatives moved against the asylum staff, exercised physical violence, smashed desks and threw chairs around.
An asylum worker, a policeman and a female refugee were injured during the clashes.
All staff working in the hot spot (incl EASO and NGO) staff has been evacuated.
The explosive atmosphere calmed down after riot police squads entered the hot spot and after the intervention of a local police director.
More than 12,000 refugees and migrants are trapped in the hot spots of the Greek islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea, after the implementation of the EU Turkey Deal in March 2016. Majority of EU member states failed to provide staff to accelerate asylum procedures with the effect that the frustrated asylum seekers launch more and more protests.
