Hal Far open centre chief commends migrants who protected staff during riot

During Sunday's riot, several migrants protected the staff at the open centre, who were recently commended on a Facebook post by the Hal Far open centre's CEO.

Mauro Farrugia, CEO of the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers took to Facebook on Tuesday morning to thank all those migrants who protected staff, helped them and stuck up for them. He did this, he said, in the midst of all the racial hatred on social media following the incident.

"I hear several negative comments, racist comments, mired in bad reasoning and cruel intentions. As someone who was present [during the riot], I will not only condemn the barbarous act but also thank those immigrants who protected, who provided aid, those immigrants who protected the most vulnerable and those who ultimately did not agree with the violence and did all they could," Farrugia said.

He added that AWAS was an obstinate and determined agency the likes of which he had never seen before and that he had no doubt it would bounce back from the incident.

In Sunday's riot, a police car and three other vehicles were burnt along with documents and other materials inside Hal Far's open centre. One police officer suffered slight wounds.

Over 100 migrants were arrested on Monday morning and some of whom are currently being charged in court.

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