A massive fire caused significant damage to a refugee shelter on the Greek island of Lesbos as tensions continue to mount over the ongoing refugee crisis.
The One Happy (OHF) centre confirmed the fire had “fully burned” down the shelter’s school building and offices on Saturday night. No casualties were reported.
It is unclear how the fire began, but it comes as Greece announced further restrictions on asylum seekers attempting to cross from Turkey into the EU.
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The centre said in a statement on Facebook: “Dear all, unfortunately there has been a fire on OHF ground this evening. The fire brigade and the police [are] there, our team on the ground as well. The fire has been put off, but the damage is big.
“The school building is fully burned, some other smaller buildings too, our offices as well. No one got hurt, but we can’t say more at the moment. Thank you for your solidarity.”
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Migrants from Afghanistan arrive on a dinghy on a beach near the village of Skala Sikamias, after crossing part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the island of Lesbos, Greece
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Migrants waiting on the Turkish side of the border
AFP via Getty
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A migrant woman holding her child sits in a field near the Meric (Evros) River at the Turkish-Greek border
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Migrants run to avoid tear gas thrown by Greek police during clashes near the Pazarkule border gate
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Refugees walk back after a failed attempt to pass the Greek border near the Meric
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A child cries as migrants arrive at the village of Skala Sikaminias
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A migrant runs during clashes with the Greek police
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Migrants use an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, 29 February 2020
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A migrant from Cameroon detained by Greek authorities sits in a room in the village of Marasia
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Migrants walk towards the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020.
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A migrant carries his belongings as he walks toward Meritsa river
AFP via Getty
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Riot police detain a migrant
AFP via Getty
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Migrants prepare an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. On February 29 2020,
AP
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Migrants use an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, 29 February 2020
AP
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Migrants walk to the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate at Edirne, Turkey
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Migrants walk to the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate at Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, February 29 2020
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
AP
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Greek border guard use teargas to push back migrants who try to enter Greece
AP
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Migrants from Afghanistan arrive on a dinghy on a beach near the village of Skala Sikamias, after crossing part of the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the island of Lesbos, Greece
Reuters
2/20
Migrants waiting on the Turkish side of the border
AFP via Getty
3/20
A migrant woman holding her child sits in a field near the Meric (Evros) River at the Turkish-Greek border
EPA
4/20
Migrants run to avoid tear gas thrown by Greek police during clashes near the Pazarkule border gate
AP
5/20
Refugees walk back after a failed attempt to pass the Greek border near the Meric
EPA
6/20
A child cries as migrants arrive at the village of Skala Sikaminias
AP
7/20
A migrant runs during clashes with the Greek police
AP
8/20
Migrants use an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, 29 February 2020
AP
9/20
A migrant from Cameroon detained by Greek authorities sits in a room in the village of Marasia
AP
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Migrants walk towards the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020.
AP
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A migrant carries his belongings as he walks toward Meritsa river
AFP via Getty
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Riot police detain a migrant
AFP via Getty
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Migrants prepare an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. On February 29 2020,
AP
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Migrants use an inflatable boat as they attempt to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river, near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey, 29 February 2020
AP
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Migrants walk to the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate at Edirne, Turkey
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Migrants walk to the Greek border near the Pazarkule border gate at Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, February 29 2020
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
AP
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Greek border guard use teargas on migrants trying to enter Greece, at Pazarkule border gate, Edirne, Turkey, Saturday, 29 February 2020
AP
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Greek border guard use teargas to push back migrants who try to enter Greece
AP
At the Greece-Turkey border, refugees clashed with Greek police on Saturday after trying to pull down a fence and hurling rocks at authorities, who responded by firing teargas at the group.
More than 38,000 refugees were stopped from attempting to cross the border, said Greek authorities, and 268 people were arrested.
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The Greek government said in a statement that around 600 people, alongside the Turkish army and military police, also threw teargas at the Greek side of the border overnight.
It added: “Attempts at illegal entry into Greek territory were prevented by Greek forces, which repaired the fence and used sirens and loudspeakers.”
The crisis deepened after Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced last week that Turkey could no longer cope with over 3.5 million Syrian refugees in the country and declared its previously guarded border with Europe open.
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Greece’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told CNN that Europe “cannot be blackmailed” by Turkey, who is using refugees and migrants as “geopolitical pawns”.
He said: “Greece has demonstrated its humanity throughout this crisis but what we are not willing to do is engage in a process where another country – systematically – uses and exploits these people in an attempt to send them across the border.
“I don’t see why we should be accused of something we have publicly said we will do. We have every right to protect our borders and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, accused Greek authorities of mistreating refugees on Saturday and claimed some 1,000 Turkish special operations police deployed on the border started to thwart the actions of Greek law enforcement teams assembled to drive migrants back.
He said: “Their masks have fallen. The ruthlessness of those who gave lectures on humanity has become eent.”
On Friday, the EU chief of foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, urged refugees in Turkey not to go to the border because it is a “closed door”, and warned countries involved to “stop this game”.
In his appeal, he said: “The news of the alleged openness [of the border] is false and people should not try to move there.
“If we want to avoid critical situations, people have to know the truth. Let’s stop this game.”
Additional reporting by agencies
