Riot breaks out in refugee hotspot on Greek Lesvos Island

A riot broke out within the reception and identification center for refugees and migrants in Moria on Lesvos Island Monday, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

The situation within the closed hotspot was described as "out of control", AMNA reported, citing sources.

The riot started when a group of migrants headed toward the pre-departure centre operating within the camp to protest against the conditions for detainees due to be returned to Turkey.

Police intervened to protect the centre and were met with a barrage of stones, to which they replied with the use of teargas, after which the violence spread.

Two large tents and one or two container units have gone up in flames, while groups of migrants are blocking the fire brigade's attempts to enter the compound and put out the fires, according to the report.

Fire fighters were forced to retreat after they were attacked with stones and one fire engine was damaged, it was reported.

Moria's hotspot houses hundreds of refugees and migrants who have reached Greece after the EU-Turkey agreement of March 2016 aimed to stem the refugee-migrant flows into Europe.

Refugees and migrants are hosted in Moria until their cases are assessed. Those who are not granted asylum are returned to Turkey, under the deal.