site.bta Unrest in Harmanli Refugee Accommodation Facility Under Control, Authorities Say

Unrest in Harmanli Refugee Accommodation Facility Under Control, Authorities Say

Harmanli, Southern Bulgaria, November 24 (BTA) - Unrest in the refugee accommodation centre in the southern town of Harmanli has developed to the point of revolt, Haskovo Interior Ministry division spokesperson Nina Nikolova said Thursday. According to police information, about 2,000 went out in the square from the dining room, shouting slogans, setting fire to tires and throwing stones at the gendarmerie on the territory of the centre. Over 100 police and gendarmerie officers were sent on location, expecting support from Interior Ministry divisions in Plovdiv, Bourgas, Stara Zagora and Kurdzhali.

The protest was curbed by 1:30 pm, followed by negotiations between the police and the inhabitants of the centre, the Bulgarian National Radio reported. Later, the conflict escalated again and some police officers were wounded. Locals began to gather in front of the facility, demanding its closure and the extradition of the illegal migrants.

Earlier this week, tension increased in Harmanli prompted by suspected incidence of infectious diseases among refugees. Movement of asylum-seekers out of the facility has been banned for three days. This is probably the reason for the unrest in the facility, which currently accommodates 3,000 people mainly from Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.