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Greek police clear out two slums in anti-immigrant action (Roundup)
Jul 12, 2009, 16:40 GMT
Patras, Greece - Greek police on Sunday cleared out two slums inhabited by illegal immigrants in Patras, a harbour town known as a gateway for illegal entry into Europe, Greek media reports said.
Dozens of people without proper residency permits, including 44 juveniles, were caught in the operation, which was criticized by left-wing organizations. All illegal immigrants were to be detained in a facility outside the city for the time being.
A fire broke out in one slum during the police raid, but no injuries were reported, according to fire officials.
There were estimated to be around 4,000 illegal immigrants - typically from Northern Africa and Asia - gathered in Patras in hopes of catching a ferry to Italy, one of the more common ways for illegal immigrants to make their way further into Western Europe.
Greece has for years been experiencing a stream of refugees, with the Turkey-Greece-Italy route being one of the main routes used by human traffickers to smuggle people into Western Europe.
One in ten people living in Greece is born outside the European Union.
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