WATCH: The Sack Of Ħal Far’s Open Centre: Burning Fires, Broken Cameras And Pillaged Offices
Shocking inside footage has appeared of last night’s riot at the Ħal Far open centre, in which migrants temporarily took over and caused significant damage to the ‘Tent Village’.
The footage, which appears to have been filmed from a migrant’s phone, shows open centre residents cheering as fires burn in the courtyard. One migrant can be seen on the rooftop of a building, bashing a security camera attached to a lamp post as people cheer him on.
At one point, a group of migrants break into an administrative building, opening cupboards, knocking down furniture and boxes and tossing documents around. Some can be heard laughing at the damage they’re causing.
The riot reportedly started when a Nigerian man was refused entry to the open centre, which is managed by the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), because he was drunk. The man protested and, when police tried to intervene, other residents jumped into the fray, kicking off a riot.
Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia confirmed that around 300 migrants had taken part in the riot and that around 40 have been arrested.
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