Lesvos truck drivers protest refugees hiding among goods

Truck drivers on Lesvos island and representatives of companies transferring products by ship to Piraeus port held a series of protests this week over refugees and immigrants trying to reach the mainland by sneaking into trucks, local media reported Thursday.

According to police data, 5,918 refugees and immigrants are trapped in Lesvos, after the migrant agreement was reached between the European Union and Turkey in March.

"We will stop making transfers if there is no restricted and guarded parking space for our vehicles. Our products are being ruined every day," Argiris Chatziargiriou, the president of the local Truck Owners Association, told Xinhua.

A meeting took place Thursday between truck drivers and the coastguard chief of Mytilene, Nikolaos Passadis, during which both sides agreed on finding space to resolve the problem.

"We are very much aware of the fact that these people do not want to stay on the island. They are trapped and they are looking for ways to escape. So many times they tear up the canvas, get into the trucks, destroy food, hide and all these things contribute to our being unable to deliver our merchandise," Chatziargiriou said.

According to local police, three refugees were found hiding in a truck transferring refrigerators for recycling.

"The truck driver was taken to the police department, along with the three refugees, who confessed that they got into the truck in secret, so the driver was released," said the police representative.

But for 30 days, the vehicle has been parked outside the customs office under standard procedures.

"Behind every incident like that one, there are 30 lost wages and families depending on them and this is something that affects everyone since it can happen to anyone," Chatziargiriou said. Enditem