Woman and child injured in clashes at Chios migrant camp
A woman and a child were injured in overnight clashes between Afghan and Algerian migrants at a camp on the eastern Aegean island of Chios on Wednesday night.
No details were released regarding their ages or the exact nature of their injuries, though www.politischios.gr, a local news site, said the pair was taken to hospital.
The clashes started around midnight when a group of some 20 Afghan men swept through the Souda camp, attacking any Algerians that crossed their path, the website reported.
According to the report, the attack came after scuffles had broken out earlier in the day between members of the two groups, suggesting that Wednesday night’s incident was an orchestrated attack.
The clashes lasted for around 20 minutes until riot police were brought in. The attackers are said to have scattered into the streets of the surrounding area, preventing police from making any arrests.
The UN refugee agency, which is one of the bodies responsible for the Souda camp, said that all transfers of migrants and refugees from the VIAL facility to Souda and Vrontado will be suspended on Thursday amid fears of fresh tension.
Clashes between different ethnic groups are quite frequent at the migrant and refugee centers on the Greek islands, as tensions are stoked by overcrowding and long delays in processing.
