Thousands of immigrants have held a demonstration in Greece's capital city of Athens to protest against racism in the country, Press TV reports.
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On Friday, more than 5,000 demonstrators marched to parliament, carrying banners reading "No Islamophobia" and "Neo Nazis out!" in one of the biggest anti-racism demonstrations in Athens in recent years.

Greece is a main entrance for Asian and African migrant workers trying to enter the European Union. They face increasing hostility as the country, which has been at the epicenter of the eurozone debt crisis, is experiencing its fifth year of recession, while harsh austerity measures have left about half a million people without jobs.

In recent months, there has been a sharp rise in tensions between immigrants and Greek citizens.

On Thursday, police arrested hundreds of undocumented migrant workers in the western city of Corinth and put them in a former army camp.

The police action angered local authorities and residents who demonstrated outside the immigrant detention center to protest against the measure.

"We will do everything possible to prevent such a disaster," Corinth's mayor Alexandros Pnevmatikos told Skai TV. "We don't want the camp, which is in the center of the city, close to densely populated neighborhoods, to become a holding center.
"Racist attacks against immigrants have increased in Greece where one in every five workers is currently unemployed, banks are in a shaky position, and pensions and salaries have been slashed by up to 40 percent.
Greek youths have also been badly affected, and more than half of them are out of work.

The long-drawn-out eurozone debt crisis, which began in Greece in late 2009 and reached Italy, Spain, and France last year, is viewed as a threat not only to Europe but many of the other more developed economies.