Greek police use batons against migrants on island of Kos

Tensions mount following surge of refugee arrivals to Greek islands in recent weeks

Greek police used fire extinguishers and batons against migrants on the island of Kos, where hundreds had gathered at a stadium to wait for immigration papers, Greek state television footage showed.

The scuffles between the police and migrants took place a day after a Greek police officer on the island was suspended for brandishing a knife and slapping a man identified by Greek media as a Pakistani migrant.

Kos is one of several Greek islands that has seen a surge of migrant and refugee arrivals in recent weeks, prompting a situation that the UN refugee agency has called “shameful”. – (Reuters)