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Pakis,Afghans,Iranians throw fists and rocks in fight over to be registered as migrants
New chaos on Kos as Pakistanis, Afghans and Iranians throw fists and rocks in fight over to be registered as migrants
Fighting broke out between a group of Asian migrants on the Greek island of Kos today.
Riot police did nothing as 50 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran threw rocks and exchanged blows near a passenger ship where hundreds of migrants were being registered.Hundreds of Asian migrants were stood near the police station when the brawl broke out, possibly because they have little chance of being processed on the Eleftherios Venizelos.
The Greek authorities are giving priority to Syrians. They are treated as refugees because they are fleeing their country's bitter civil war and therefore have greater rights under international law than economic migrants.
News of the outbreak in Kos comes as experts claim nearly 250,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe this year and that number will top quarter-of-a-million by the end of the month.
Rival chants of 'Pakistan', 'Afghanistan' and 'Iran' were heard on the quayside as the brawl erupted. At least one migrant was kicked to the ground and others wandered the streets with blood on their faces following the fight.
Other members of the crowd - including 300 Syrians who were waiting to be processed - moved into the shade as the fighting continued for several minutes.The riot police officers, who were drafted in earlier this week to reinforce local officers, watched from the sidelines.'We didn't intervene because our priority is to protect the police station,' one riot policeman said.
They later used their batons to beat back a large crowd of Iranian refugees who attempted to break the police line which was blocking the entrance to the police station.Meanwhile, migrants continue to arrive from the Turkish mainland, which lies within sight of Kos. The coast guard has rescued 212 people from four dinghies on the island's north-eastern coast. Just after dawn on Saturday, three dinghies carrying around 30 to 50 people, came ashore.
Another rubber boat which arrived earlier this morning was carrying several young children from Syria, wearing colourful armbands and life vests.They smiled and cheered as they made their way up the beach of the south-east Greek island where thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have been sleeping rough on the streets.A giant ferry docked there yesterday to provide temporary relief for hordes of homeless Syrian and African refugees who crossed over from Turkey on flimsy rubber dinghies.
The Eleftherios Venizelos ferry, which can carry up to 2,500 people, will double up as screening centre for migrants today. They will be allowed to stay there while they wait for temporary travel documents to leave the island of Kos and journey on to other parts of Europe.
It will replace the island's main stadium where Greek authorities have issued documents to around 7,000 Syrians since Monday.Earlier this week, Greek police were heavily criticised for locking over a thousand migrants into the stadium overnight - without food, shelter or access to toilets.
The police used fire extinguishers and batons on migrants after violence broke out in the sports stadium where hundreds of people, including young children, were waiting for immigration papers.
The head of Greek police's 'aliens an border protection' branch said on of the Syrians who arrived on Kos by late Thursday have now been registered.Major-General Zacharoula Tsirigoti added the ferry will stay on for about two weeks to cater to new arrivals, whose numbers are expected to drop off as weather conditions deteriorate in the autumn.
Late last night, around 1,900 Syrians - clasping their papers in their hands - queued up in a fenced-off part of Kos harbour to get on an Athens-bound ferry. Another 2,000 Syrians left Kos on Wednesday and Thursday - considerably reducing the overall number of people trapped on the island.
Tensions were reportedly high at Fenerburnu Beach in Bodrum, Turkey last night as two migrants were forced off a rubber dinghy by their furious fellow passengers. One of them shouted: 'You haven't paid!'
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@roma @jouni
@Neo @Zarvan
New chaos on Kos as Pakistanis, Afghans and Iranians throw fists and rocks in fight over to be registered as migrants
- Riot police stood by and did nothing as bloody-faced Asian migrants clashed near a police station on island of Kos
- Giant ferry has docked on the island to provide temporary shelter and a screening facility for thousands of migrants
- Syrians given priority over Asian migrants because they are fleeing country's war and therefore considered refugee
- The International Organisation of Migration says the number of asylum seeker to reach Europe will soon top 250,000
Fighting broke out between a group of Asian migrants on the Greek island of Kos today.
Riot police did nothing as 50 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran threw rocks and exchanged blows near a passenger ship where hundreds of migrants were being registered.Hundreds of Asian migrants were stood near the police station when the brawl broke out, possibly because they have little chance of being processed on the Eleftherios Venizelos.
The Greek authorities are giving priority to Syrians. They are treated as refugees because they are fleeing their country's bitter civil war and therefore have greater rights under international law than economic migrants.
News of the outbreak in Kos comes as experts claim nearly 250,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe this year and that number will top quarter-of-a-million by the end of the month.
Rival chants of 'Pakistan', 'Afghanistan' and 'Iran' were heard on the quayside as the brawl erupted. At least one migrant was kicked to the ground and others wandered the streets with blood on their faces following the fight.
Other members of the crowd - including 300 Syrians who were waiting to be processed - moved into the shade as the fighting continued for several minutes.The riot police officers, who were drafted in earlier this week to reinforce local officers, watched from the sidelines.'We didn't intervene because our priority is to protect the police station,' one riot policeman said.
They later used their batons to beat back a large crowd of Iranian refugees who attempted to break the police line which was blocking the entrance to the police station.Meanwhile, migrants continue to arrive from the Turkish mainland, which lies within sight of Kos. The coast guard has rescued 212 people from four dinghies on the island's north-eastern coast. Just after dawn on Saturday, three dinghies carrying around 30 to 50 people, came ashore.
Another rubber boat which arrived earlier this morning was carrying several young children from Syria, wearing colourful armbands and life vests.They smiled and cheered as they made their way up the beach of the south-east Greek island where thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have been sleeping rough on the streets.A giant ferry docked there yesterday to provide temporary relief for hordes of homeless Syrian and African refugees who crossed over from Turkey on flimsy rubber dinghies.
The Eleftherios Venizelos ferry, which can carry up to 2,500 people, will double up as screening centre for migrants today. They will be allowed to stay there while they wait for temporary travel documents to leave the island of Kos and journey on to other parts of Europe.
It will replace the island's main stadium where Greek authorities have issued documents to around 7,000 Syrians since Monday.Earlier this week, Greek police were heavily criticised for locking over a thousand migrants into the stadium overnight - without food, shelter or access to toilets.
The police used fire extinguishers and batons on migrants after violence broke out in the sports stadium where hundreds of people, including young children, were waiting for immigration papers.
The head of Greek police's 'aliens an border protection' branch said on of the Syrians who arrived on Kos by late Thursday have now been registered.Major-General Zacharoula Tsirigoti added the ferry will stay on for about two weeks to cater to new arrivals, whose numbers are expected to drop off as weather conditions deteriorate in the autumn.
Late last night, around 1,900 Syrians - clasping their papers in their hands - queued up in a fenced-off part of Kos harbour to get on an Athens-bound ferry. Another 2,000 Syrians left Kos on Wednesday and Thursday - considerably reducing the overall number of people trapped on the island.
Tensions were reportedly high at Fenerburnu Beach in Bodrum, Turkey last night as two migrants were forced off a rubber dinghy by their furious fellow passengers. One of them shouted: 'You haven't paid!'
===============================================================================================
@Blackwater @jackprince @Sakal Gharelu Ustad @Rowdy @alphacentury @sydsnyper @anupamsurey @VIP
@Razor @brational @Bangalorean @Mad Indian @cobra commando @hit&run @maomao
@ersakthivel @OneGrimPilgrim @Vishwarupa @Srinivas_K @maomao @VIP @pmaitra
@roma @jouni
@Neo @Zarvan
