Asylum-seekers and locals clash on Greek island of Lesbos over migrant crisis

Clashes broke out on Sunday (April 22) between asylum-seekers and groups of locals on Lesbos, police said, in one of the most serious bouts of violence on the Greek island in months.

The violence erupted late Sunday after members of the radical "Patriotic Movement" gathered on the central square of the island's main city Mytilene, where some 200 Afghan asylum-seekers launched a sit-in protest last week against their miserable living conditions. The asylum-seekers were demonstrating against conditions in the island's camp and delays in asylum applications.

The clashes raged all night until security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd and evacuate the square, forcing the Afghans to return to the island's overcrowded migrant camps.

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A dozen migrants were lightly hurt and had to be taken to hospital, police said.

The clashes, which began on Sunday evening, lasted well into the early hours of Monday, the official said. Tensions spiraled further when Left-wing activists arrived in support of the migrants and started fighting with the far-Right supporters.

Lesbos was the main gateway to Europe for nearly a million refugees and migrants in 2015. Its main camp, Moria, suffers from overcrowding, with more than double the number of people it can handle, and conditions have deteriorated. Acts of violence and protests are often reported in the camp.