Lesvos migrant facility targeted by arsonists
Unknown assailants on Sunday set fire on a migrant camp at a makeshift reception area for asylum-seekers at Skala Sykamias on the northern coast of Lesvos island in the eastern Aegean.
The Stage 2 transit camp had been set up by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to temporarily host asylum seekers landing on the island, before their transfer to the Moria hotspot.
The facility was recently shut down following a decision by the West Lesvos municipal council. The West Lesvos Mayor had announced that the facility would be temporarily re-opened to host newly-arrived women and children.
In a statement, the West Lesvos municipality condemned the arson attack, while urging residents to “remain calm and united.”
Also on Sunday, a group of locals attempted to stop a dinghy full of migrants from coming in to berth at Thermi port. “Go back to Turkey,” a group of hooded individuals shouted.
Last week, riot police clashed with locals protesting government plans to build a closed-type migrant camp on the island.
