Up to 70 migrants were involved in a violent clash at an asylum reception centre in Belgium yesterday. It was the latest in a series of such incidents which have taken place across Europe during the ongoing migrant crisis.
The centre, based in Arendonk in the Belgian province of Antwerp, is a temporary processing unit for those applying for asylum in Belgium. The centre’s director, Joan Ramakers, said the cause of the fracas was trivial but once it began it snowballed rapidly and police were needed to restore order.
Although there were no serious injuries on this occasion, a staff member was taken to hospital for a check up reports The Brussels Times. Mr Ramakers said:
“A small incident sparked a brawl which quickly gathered momentum. We called the police and eight vans arrived promptly at the scene.
“Our staff were able to identify six people guilty of breaking the centre’s rules. They have been excluded until further notice.
“We have to make it clear that we will not tolerate violence of this sort.”
The incident follows a number of similar fights in reception centres throughout Europe involving rival migrant groups. As Breitbart London previously reported a dispute over allegations of preferential treatment for Syrians led Afghan migrants to riot on the Greek island of Lesbos.
In Germany a recent study commissioned by the Brandenburg Ministry of Interior revealed conflict caused by ethnic and religious tensions is part of everyday life for migrants housed in reception centres, and is likely to increase. Rainer Wendt, Federal Chairman of the German Police Union, said the police report “only a fraction” of what is happening to avoid scaring people unnecessarily.
The Arendonk incident is not the first time the reception centre has witnessed violence. Just over three years ago Flanders News reported a row over a woman triggered a mass brawl involving around 50 Afghans and Chechens.
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