ATHENS

Clashes between police and a group of migrants and refugees were reported on Monday on the Greek island of Lesbos.

A group of around 2,000 asylum seekers from the Moria camp marched towards the capital Mytilini protesting about their appalling living conditions and the slow process of identification which keeps them isolated in the camp.

The tension started when police used tear gas to prevent the protesters from reaching the center of the city.

Fire was set by asylum seekers in farm land, while a group of about 1,000 attempted to reach the town through the surrounding mountains, local media reported.

Some of the asylum seekers set fires in an area close to the Public Power Corporation power plant, while another group managed to reach the town and occupied the main road that leads to the port.

The Moria Camp hosts more than 15,000 refugees, although it was designated to host 3,000 people, offering them squalid conditions.