Hundreds of angry migrants disrupt traffic in the port of Rhodes

Nearly 400 migrants and refugees demonstrated Sunday, October 29, at the port of the island of Rhodes in Greece, disrupting traffic for at least four hours, to demand their immediate transfer elsewhere in the country, Greek coast guards reported.

The situation is tense in Greece. While they were still stranded on the island, about 400 migrants and refugees demonstrated in the port of Rhodes, demanding their departure to other cities in the country. The demonstrators blocked traffic for more than four hours before police expelled them.

During the afternoon, migrants specifically prevented two boats, “Nysos Chios”, from leaving and another from docking. Most of them arrived in Greece after rescue operations during the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean, and these migrants were transferred to Rhodes for processing of their files. They demanded to board the ship “Nysos Chios” to be immediately transferred from this island to more suitable reception structures or to mainland Greece, according to the Coast Guard.

The port police conducted negotiations with the migrants for four hours. Finally, the ship “Nissos Chios” left the port without the migrants on board, Greek public radio and television ERT reported.

Places for all immigrants in Rhodes

The sources of the Greek Ministry of Migrations are responsible for finding people in nearby places in access areas for registration and the high level of all migrants on the island, where Rhodes does not dispose of these existing structures. ‘welcome. According to these sources, “transport operations from the island are organized on a regular basis,” under the supervision of the police and the Coast Guard.

According to official figures, 10,790 migrants and refugees arrived in Greece in the first eight months of 2023, double the number recorded during the same period last year, which amounted to 5,216.