Asylum law seen behind Lesvos tension

Migrants stranded on Lesvos protested against the dreadful conditions at the Moria reception center and the slow processing of asylum requests for a second day Tuesday as the government turned down a request for a state of emergency to be declared on the eastern Aegean island.

A group of about 250 asylum seekers, mostly Afghan residents of Moria, rallied outside the Municipal Theater in the island's capital Mytilene demanding "freedom" and shouting, "Lesvos people, we are sorry." The police intervened to prevent protesters from blocking traffic. One woman was injured in a stampede as demonstrators fled the scene to avoid possible arrest. 

Officials attributed the tension to the tougher asylum regulations introduced by the conservative government. 

"They see that the legislation has become stricter and that the rate of rejected claims has increased, and they...

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