Police arrest several migrants after protest at Safi detention centre

Several migrants who protested at the Safi detention centre on Monday were arrested by the police and taken away for questioning.

The migrants are understood to have started pelting detention centre staff at the end of an otherwise peaceful protest.

Just like they did in previous protests over the past month, the migrants were demanding their freedom.

However, at one point a small group reportedly got aggressive and riot police moved in to apprehend them. The migrants were driven away in a police van.

There has been no official statement on the incident and the number of arrests made, but a police spokesperson said nobody was injured.

Migrants held in detention pending identification and the initial processing of their asylum applications, have been protesting over the length of time it is taking the authorities to release them. They claim their rights are being breached.

Only last week, a violent riot took place at the Hal Far open centre that resulted in five cars being burnt, staff members being pelted and offices ransacked.

The police charged around 100 people with the rioting and while some admitted and received a six-week prison term, others were remanded in custody pending the continuation of court proceedings.