Fresh clashes broke out Wednesday night among migrants at an overcrowded reception site in Agia, Crete, even as authorities began an emergency operation to transfer hundreds of people to the mainland.
The unrest, which involved scuffles and some injuries, was the second such incident in 24 hours at the strained facility.
A large police and coast guard force was deployed to restore order.
Amid the tensions, the first group of approximately 200 Sudanese migrants was transported from Agia to the port of Souda on Wednesday evening to board a ferry for mainland facilities.
The departure was met with cheers and applause from the hundreds of migrants remaining at the site.
Authorities plan to transfer another 200 people on Thursday as they work to alleviate the dangerous overcrowding, which follows a recent surge in migrant arrivals to the island from Libya.