At least 10 people were held by Greek police after clashes broke out at a refugee camp on the Aegean island of Chios on Wednesday evening.
Local media report that groups of Arabs and Afghans clashed at the Vial hotspot, the largest migrant camp on the island.
Despite a heavy police presence, pitch battles continued for about two hours. Some prefabricated huts were damaged in the fighting.
Humanitarian groups say tensions are spilling over due to overcrowding in many camps on the Greek islands. In Vial more than 2,000 people live in a space meant to hold 1,000.
In a joint letter addressed to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in late November, 20 humanitarian groups warned the authorities that “lives will be lost” unless asylum seekers stranded in cramped and unsafe island camps are allowed to relocate to the mainland.
Official data from December claimed just over 4,150 refugees and migrants were transferred to the mainland between Nov. 27 and Dec. 27.
However, the Greek Migration Ministry also noted over 2,300 new arrivals were recorded. Over 170 new arrivals were also recorded on the islands of Lesbos and Samos on New Year’s Day alone.
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