Refugee camp

Refugees are having a field day.

Soccer players and fans from Syria and Iraq got a break from life at migrant camps to play a match organized by Greece's state migration agency, launching a tournament that will include local amateur teams.

The number of people who sought protection in Bulgaria last month has dropped by nearly a quarter compared to August, the refugee agency has said.

The number does not include foreign nationals who crossed into or out of the country without being registered.

As many as 2076 people from 13 countries took the step in September, down from 2776 people in August.

Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan has visited a refugee camp in the Nizip district of the southeastern province of Gaziantep. Lohan met with Syrian refugees during her visit and shared a photo of herself and an aid personnel working in the camp from her Instagram account.
 
"I met a wonderful aid worker (Azize) at The Refugee Camp in Antep," Lohan wrote on Oct. 8.

Authorities on the eastern Aegean island of Chios were working on Saturday to repair the damage wreaked to a refugee reception center after frustrated youths set fire to mattresses, causing a blaze that destroyed eight prefabricated homes.
 

The refugees and migrants began their protest march on Tuesday to Serbia's border with Hungary, some 200 kilometres north of Belgrade, escorted by police to ensure security and prevent them from blocking traffic on the highway.

Four Pakistani 17-year-olds were arrested on Wednesday, accused of gang-raping a 16-year-old boy in a refugee camp on Lesvos.

According to authorities, the incident occurred on Sunday morning at the overcrowded Moria camp and was recorded by the assailants on their cell phones.

The European Union is launching a project for the distribution of debit cards to refugees in Turkey to the amount of EUR 348 M, reported BNR.

The project is part of the agreement between the EU and Turkey for stopping the migrant flow towards Europe. It is considered to be the biggest humanitarian aid programme financed by the EU.

Rumors are fueling tensions at the country's overcrowded refugee camps, triggering outbreaks of violence, Kathimerini understands.

The State Agency for Refugees has begun the construction of 68 new caravans for over 400 people in the Harmanli refugee camp, reported BGNES.

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei unveiled on Thursday thousands of mobile phone pictures of refugees at his newest exhibition saying it aimed to speak with "one voice" for those who have fled to Europe's shores.