Lesvos authorities detain 25 for occupying square
Authorities on Lesvos detained 25 individuals for occupying a central square on the eastern Aegean island’s capital, Mytilene, late Sunday. The protesters, all of them north African migrants, were demanding that authorities process their asylum applications and their transfer to mainland Greece.
Nine were later released because they were minors, while 16 were expected to appear before a local court on Monday.
Meanwhile, a group of Afghan asylum-seekers continued to occupy the offices of ruling SYRIZA party in Mytilene for a tenth day on Monday demanding that authorities transfer them to Athens.
More than 8,500 refugees and other migrants are staying on Lesvos pending processing of their cases, with 6,600 staying in camps designed to accommodate 2,300.
Last month, residents on Lesvos went on strike to protest against European policies they say have turned it into a "prison" for migrants and refugees.
