A Pakistani migrant threatened to hang himself during a demonstration inside the Moria registration centre on the Greek island of Lesbos on Wednesday after Turkey and Germany reached an agreement to send back migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean Sea illegally.
The young man climbed a utility pole and forced himself into a makeshift noose made of a scarf, according to Al Jazeera.
Chanting “freedom, freedom”, the 18-year-old threatened to end his life before being convinced by his compatriots and police officers to come down, Greek media reported.
Turkey and Germany said an agreement between Ankara and the EU meant to stem the flow of migrants to the Greek islands was showing signs of success, but many were still trying to cross the sea and the route remained far from sealed off.
The accord, which came into force on Monday, aims to help end the chaotic arrival of migrants and refugees, most fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, after more than a million reached Europe last year.
The influx has threatened the EU’s system of passport-free travel and prompted its executive on Wednesday to propose strengthening common asylum rules.
New arrivals on the Greek islands from Turkey dropped to 68 in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning from 225 the previous day, data from the Greek migration ministry showed. That compared to a single day last October, during the peak of the crisis, when arrivals approached 9,200 people.
