Migrants ‘contemplating suicide’ at protest-hit Greek camp

Migrants cook near their tents at El Trampolín beach in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Francis González) (AP Photo/Francis González)Short Urlhttps://arab. news/v4gn6 A Greek migrant camp, touted as a ‘model’ , is facing repeated protests Asylum seekers report conditions are so severe that some consider suicide Updated AFP September 25, 2026 Follow Promachónas: A migrant camp championed by Greece’s conservative government as a ‘model’ for Europe has been rocked , with asylum seekers describing conditions so desperate that some say they are contemplating suicide. Greece, which takes a hard line on migration, is one of five European Union countries working to set up “return hubs” outside the EU to where migrants refused asylum could be sent. A meeting of 17 European countries’ interior ministers to discuss this project is due to take place Saturday in Germany. At the EU-funded Sintiki camp near Greece’s border with Bulgaria, police have repeatedly clashed with incarcerated migrants trying to break out after months in detention. In an open letter last month, some of the nearly 400 Egyptian and Bangladeshi migrants held there said they were “exhausted”, barely getting enough to eat, and forced to share four bathrooms. “Many of us are contemplating suicide... we are crushed, physically, psychologically and ethically... please save us,” they wrote. AFP was unable to get access to the occupants of Sintiki. ‘Time bombs’ For people from Bangladesh, the rate of acceptance for asylum applications is less than one percent, according to Greek migration ministry figures. The same goes for applications from Egypt and Pakistan. Under the terms of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which came into force in June, people applying for refugee status are detained until their case has been examined. If their bid is rejected, they remain imprisoned until being sent back. The migrants also asked for permission to work so they could support their families back home. “We have been jailed for over 12 months... people here are like time bombs,” the letter read. The unrest has taken a visible toll on the facility, with the camp now looking “bombarded”, a senior police officer told AFP. “Three of the four sectors of the facility were destroyed during the unrest”, said Giannis Kounios, head of the police union in the Serres region. Damage to housing units has left many without shelter. “A few days ago there was a heavy downpour and not everyone could fit inside,” Kounios said.