Migrants watch a large fire as it burns inside the Moria refugee camp on the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, late Monday, Sept. 19.
Advertisement
Migrants gather outside a Lesbos refugee camp after a fire forced them to flee.
Thousands of migrants were forced to flee to safety on September 19, 2016 when their camp on Lesbos was badly damaged in a fire apparently set on goal, police said.
Police are investigating whether the fire was deliberate, but an aid worker said it started after a food dispute.
The fire is now under control, it is being reported.
“Moria serves as a stark reminder to world leaders meeting in New York City today to discuss the global refugee crisis of the flawed and deeply questionable policies put in place by the EU-Turkey deal, and the responsibility that Greece continues to shoulder for the broader refugee crisis in Europe”.
More than 60,000 migrants and refugees are stranded in transit in Greece, and those who arrived after March 20 have been restricted to five Aegean islands under an EU-brokered deal to deport them back to Turkey. 2016. Greek police say a large fire has swept through a big camp for refugees and other migrants on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, forcing its evacuation.
But their journey is now facing difficulties as several eastern European and Balkan states closed their borders earlier this year.
According to Greek state news agency ANA, a brawl started on Monday after a rumour that refugees would be deported to Turkey en masse.
Local residents were demanding that the number of migrants to be limited to 3,000 refugees on the island.
The cause of the fire was not known last night.
A lot of them are Syrian refugees fleeing civil war, in addition to Iraqis, Afghans, and Pakistanis fleeing violence and persecution at home, who, along with others from the Indian subcontinent and north Africa, are not automatically entitled to asylum in Europe.
The fire comes as United Nations member states on Monday promised to try to improve the plight of millions of refugees around the world.
A general view of migrants at the detention centre in Lesbos on Monday.
Advertisement
The Monday incident came as world leaders from the 193 member states took part in the first-ever summit in NY on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. “If we, the worldwide community, fail in supporting this effort not only the social, but also the political repercussions will be felt, not only in Greece but anywhere”.
