A second fire at Moria detention centre in Lesbos, Monday, resulted in several tents being burned to the ground reportedly following a fight between refugees over access to resources.
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The fire destroyed 30% of the camp, according to Aris Vlashopoulos, an aid worker with the Swiss charity SAO.
UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, said the fire was linked in part to poor living conditions and a prevailing sense of uncertainty among many.
It was not clear what caused the blaze, but Greek media said clashes had erupted following a rumour that hundreds of people would be deported.
Tensions have boiled over at overcrowded camps on Greece’s islands as the slow processing of asylum requests adds to frustration over living conditions.
Families with young children hastily packed up their belongings and fled into the nearby fields as the fire raged. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, linked the fire to poor living conditions and a sense of insecurity among numerous residents.
“We have been saying for a very long time that overcrowding on the islands must be eased”, Kalogirou told private Skai television.
According to police figures, there are now 5,302 migrants on Lesvos, 3,726 on Chios and 1,156 on Samos, while the total number on the islands of the Northern Aegean has reached 10,184. A police official in Athens said two riot police squads were being deployed to the island.
In Brussels, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, Natasha Bertaud, said the Greek government had described the situation as being under control.
‘If we fail to support this, the political repercussions will be felt not only in Greece but everywhere, ‘ he said.
Frontex police escort migrants being deported from Lesbos on Monday.
The merchant marine ministry launched an urgent tender for a ferry that could accommodate at least 1,000 people and reach Lesbos by Wednesday.
“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”.
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More than 850,000 migrants arrived on the Greek islands a year ago, many after risking their lives in unseaworthy boats and dinghies.
