The protests broke out in a refugee reception center in the village of Oinofyta on Monday night. The migrants were enraged that they were being transferred to the remote location from temporary accommodation in and near Athens.

The Oinofyta facility had been closed last year but was recently reopened to accommodate migrants being moved out of temporary hotel accommodation in the capital. The Greek government is struggling to cope with the large number of migrants that are being transferred to Athens from the beleaguered northeastern Aegean camps.

Migrants riot after being moved 60 km north of Athens

According to police, an angry groups of migrants began setting fires and rioting shortly before midnight. The main gripe of the migrants is that the Oinofyta facility is located in a largely industrial zone far away from Athens. They were reportedly much happier in hotel accommodation or rented homes subsidized by the United Nations refugee agency close to the city.

Meanwhile, according to the latest government figures released, a total of 289 migrants and refugees landed on Greece's Aegean islands over the past seven days. The data showed that 257 migrants landed on Lesvos and 32 on Samos, while no new arrivals were recorded on Chios.

This month alone so far, 1,269 migrants have reached the islands since the beginning of the month.

Overcrowded facilities criticized by human rights bodies

Tensions continue to rise especially in Greece. Human rights organisations have continuously criticized the living conditions in the country's overcrowded migrant facilities.

Last week, a 26-year-old Syrian refugee was hospitalized after setting himself on fire at the Moria camp on Lesbos in protest after his asylum request was rejected a second time. According to hospital sources, the man had doused his jacket in petrol before setting fire to it and was treated for minor burn injuries to various parts of his body at the local hospital. Two weeks ago there was violent rioting at the Moria camp - eight police officers were injured in clashes with around 150 migrants.

Amnesty International called on Greek government to take action

Earlier this month, Amnesty International called on the Greek government to take urgent action since overcrowding, poor sanitation and security lapses are putting refugees' and migrants' lives at risk in all of the northeastern Aegean camps.

Over 60,000 refugees and migrants, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, have been stuck in Greece for more than 12 months after border shutdowns across the Balkan region stopped their planned onward journeys.