Number of arrested refugees in Bulgaria exceeds 400
Xinhua, November 25, 2016 Adjust font size:
The number of refugees who were arrested on Thursday night in the Registration and Reception Center in the Bulgarian town of Harmanli has exceeded 400, officials said Friday.
"Nearly 400 foreign nationals were arrested for acts of vandalism after Thursday's expressions of discontent, and another 15 foreigners were arrested for damaging property at the center," the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
As many as 24 law enforcement officers sustained minor injuries in suppressing the riots, the statement said.
The statement recalled that on Thursday, shortly after 8:00 p.m. local time, a spontaneous manifestation of discontent occurred among the people accommodated in the center, and the police used a water cannon and rubber bullets to restore the order.
"At present, the situation is normal and calm," the statement said.
An investigation to identify the offenders is underway.
Currently, some 3,000 migrants, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are housed in the center. They grumbled because of the prohibition to leave the center, the ministry said. Endit