Bulgaria: serious riots in refugee camp

The introduction of medical quarantine at the request of local residents has become the reason of these riots.

Refugees unsatisfied with the introduction of quarantine started to demolish the camp. Moreover, they damaged the public property, to restore which will probably be at the expense of Bulgarian taxpayers. At the moment, 200 people were detained, but the police operation continues.

Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov said: «We used a water cannon, blanks and rubber bullets as well as physical force. The number of detained migrants is dynamic. At the moment they are more than 200. For the time being we are talking about containing the escalation. 14 police officers had been wounded».

3,500 migrants in total are now in this camp, representing about 6% of the total population of the town of Harmanli, where this incident happened.

Earlier in Bulgaria local habitants have been protesting against the possibility of free enter for migrants in the city.