A violent clash at a migrant detention center in northern Greece ended with 35 people breaking through the perimeter fen...

Written on 08/24/2026
theatlaswiregreece

A violent clash at a migrant detention center in northern Greece ended with 35 people breaking through the perimeter fence and fleeing early Sunday morning, Greek authorities confirmed. The incident happened at the Sintiki detention center, located just a few kilometers from the Bulgarian border. The facility holds around 450 migrants whose asylum applications are still being processed, a procedure that can drag on for months. Migrants threw rocks at police, prompting authorities to call in reinforcements. Officers responded with flash-bang grenades before regaining control of the situation in the early hours of Sunday. At least five migrants were injured and hospitalized following the clashes. Police managed to recapture 17 of the 35 who escaped, but 18 others remain at large as the search continues. Authorities have not released details on the nationalities of those involved. The incident comes as Greece, under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has been enforcing tougher deportation rules for those denied asylum. The government is also in active talks with African countries about establishing offshore processing centers for failed asylum-seekers, a plan that has drawn sharp criticism from international rights groups. Greece remains one of the main entry points for migrants crossing into Europe, and Sintiki sits in a particularly sensitive corridor along the Bulgarian frontier. The government has faced sustained pressure from the EU to manage arrivals more effectively while balancing its obligations under international asylum law. #Greece #Immigration #GreekBorder