The migrant crisis in Europe has taken a violent turn on the Greek Island of Lesbos, which has been flooded by around 25,000 asylum-seekers, after a series of clashes between Afghan and Syrian migrants.
Lesbos' proximity to Turkey (only six miles off its shore) has resulted in the island becoming one of Europe's most dramatically impacted areas. The island, which only has a population of around 85,000, is now reportedly housing 25,000 Syrian and Afghan migrants, who continue to arrive in waves.
Tension has been rising on the island as migrants wait, at times for days, to be issued emigration documents from the European Union. Citing German outlet RTL, Breitbart News reports that accusations by Afghans of supposed preferential treatment of Syrians have resulted in "vicious violent clashes" that have left parts of Lesbos looking like a "war zone":
As rocks, bottles and municipal bins fly, one tearful local woman told RTL "We are in danger, every day, every minute. We need someone to protect us. They come into our houses. I want to go to work, but I can’t. Our children want to go to school, but they can't. They have stolen our lives!"
Another yells at the migrants flinging rocks as they pass his house: "Go away from here! This is private land! Respect Greece!"
The main town of Lesbos, Mytilene, now resembles a war zone as the migrants rip apart the infrastructure and use the town as a urinal. Mayor Galinos helpless in the face of such an onslaught is out of ideas, and is calling on the European Union to do something.
"This is a ticking time bomb that will go off soon," he said. "We have managed to avert some catastrophes, but we need help, more ferries. This island is so small, we can’t solve a worldwide humanitarian crisis by ourselves. The European Union needs to act."
The Telegraph reports that fights between the two migrant groups erupted again Monday night, when about 2,500 attempted to gain access to an Athens-bound ferry, a situation that overwhelmed the "dozen or so" law enforcement personnel.
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