Migrants clash with police and 35 escape closed Sintiki detention center in northern Greece

Outbreak of violence at Sintiki center

A violent disturbance erupted at a closed migrant detention center in Sintiki, situated near the northern Greek city of Serres, on Saturday evening. The confrontation began shortly after 21:00 when a group of individuals broke through an internal security fence dividing the compound. Detainees then attacked police officers on duty, throwing stones and various other heavy objects across the security perimeter. The initial clash escalated quickly into widespread rioting that extended across the compound grounds for more than three hours. Greek law enforcement authorities immediately activated emergency response procedures across regional commands to contain the unrest and protect facility personnel.

Severe infrastructure destruction and vehicle damage

Detainees inflicted extensive physical destruction on the structural assets and equipment of the Sintiki detention center during the confrontation. The rioting resulted in damage to administrative buildings, residential quarters, shared common rooms, and internal facilities. Participants also targeted security and safety infrastructure, vandalizing electronic surveillance cameras and destroying on-site firefighting equipment. Service vehicles belonging to police and facility authorities parked within the compound were also heavily damaged during the unrest. One entire wing of the detention center was completely destroyed, which forced authorities to evacuate the affected area and transfer all residents from that wing to alternate housing within the facility.

Emergency deployment and restoration of order

To suppress the rioting, Greek authorities mobilized substantial emergency personnel and security reinforcements to the Sintiki facility on Saturday night. The deployment included specialized riot prevention units dispatched from the nearby city of Thessaloniki alongside local police forces from the Serres regional division. Emergency medical service teams and municipal fire rescue crews also intervened on site to control property fires, assist security officers, and address medical emergencies. Security forces brought the unrest to an end after more than three hours of operational containment. Following the intervention, police officers arrested 10 people for their direct participation in the violence, property destruction, and attacks on law enforcement.

Injuries, hospital transfers, and security controls

Emergency medical teams provided immediate aid to several individuals who suffered injuries during the hours of confrontation inside the compound. Paramedics transferred three people to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during the stone-throwing and property damage. Once order was restored late Saturday night, Greek police established tight security cordons around the damaged sectors of the facility. Technical teams and emergency personnel worked alongside security forces to evaluate structural hazards and secure damaged electrical and fire safety networks. Greek authorities also opened an investigation into the precise sequence of events and the individuals responsible for the attacks and the destruction of the residential wing.

Perimeter escape, recaptures, and asylum facility roll call

On Sunday morning, facility officials conducted a comprehensive roll call of all detainees to determine the exact number of individuals who had left the grounds. Inspectors discovered that a group of detainees had cut through a section of the external perimeter fence during the height of the nighttime rioting. Associated Press reported that 35 detainees managed to escape from the compound through the breach in the outer fence. Law enforcement agencies launched regional search operations across the Serres area and recaptured approximately half of the 35 escaped individuals by Sunday. The Sintiki facility currently houses approximately 450 people who are awaiting formal processing and legal decisions on their asylum applications.