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Finland's Justice Minister condemns suspected arson at refugee center

Xinhua, December 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Finnish Minister of Justice Jari Lindstrom condemned a suspected arson attack at a reception center in western Finland on Tuesday.

Lindstrom emphasized that lawless behaviors conducted by either the native population or asylum seekers are equally reprehensible.

"Frustrated people seek solutions through false means," said the minister, adding that this behavior "does not belong to Finland and it is completely unacceptable."

A two-storeyed wooden building in Kankaanpaa was burnt down by a fierce blaze on Tuesday morning. It was one of the three houses of the planned reception center, designed to accommodate some 200 asylum seekers starting next week.

Police suspected that the fire was set deliberately.

Antti Kivela, director of the reception center, said the destruction of the building will not prevent asylum seekers from being accommodated in the other two facilities in the region. Endit