LESBOS, Greece (AP) — Clashes have broken out overnight on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios, where residents tried to prevent the arrival of riot police and excavating machines to be used to build migrant detention camps.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds that gathered early Tuesday to try and prevent the ships from docking.
The government says it will move ahead with plans to build the new facilities on appropriated land and has promised to replace existing camps where conditions of severe overcrowding have worsened in recent months.
Many island residents and the local authorities vehemently oppose the plan, arguing that the migrants and asylum seekers should be moved to the Greek mainland.