Police launches sweep against ‘squatters’ at Athens migrant camp
The Greek Police (ELAS) was carrying out an operation on the apparent request of the Migration Ministry to clear unauthorized guests and residents from a refugee camp in Athens' Elaionas district on Tuesday.
Police and a squad of riot officers arrived at the camp on Tuesday afternoon and ordered the facility's employees to vacate the premises as they did a sweep for individuals who could not justify their presence, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) reported.
The Migration Ministry told the ANA-MPA that the sweep was requested by the camp's directors following clashes earlier in the day between residents at the camp, which authorities say may have been started by a group of migrants who were moved there on Saturday.
A few dozen migrants and refugees were admitted to the facility over the weekend after setting up tents in front of Parliament in downtown Athens to protest their eviction from a squat in the central neighborhood of Exarchia last week during a police crackdown on crime in the area.
It was not clear how many people were remanded for questioning in Tuesday's sweep of the Elaionas migrant camp, as the operation was ongoing.
