NEWS

Migrants block highway to protest conditions at Diavata camp

Migrants block highway to protest conditions at Diavata camp

More than 200 asylum seekers temporarily blocked a busy highway near the state-run reception facility near Diavata in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, to demand better living conditions.

It was the second day of protests, carried out mainly by Kurdish migrants. The rally ended peacefully.

In a statement, the Thessaloniki-based nongovernmental organization Antigone bemoaned “the lack of central planning and coordination.”

“There is no formal announcement regarding any action from the Ministry of Migration Policy,” it said.

According to the group, more than 1,800 people are staying at the Diavata facility, which has a capacity to shelter 800.

Most of the migrants and refugees are staying in tents or in an empty building in unacceptable living conditions, the group said.

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