9 refugees held after violence at reception center

Nine asylum seekers were detained by police following a violent protest that erupted at a refugee center near Helsinki on Sunday.

The detainees were inhabitants of an asylum applicant housing facility at Nukari, 45 kilometers north to Helsinki. They were reportedly violent towards staffers of the refugee center.

Police told national broadcaster Yle that the wrangle apparently concerned transportation schedules. Sirpa Raitanen, director of the center, told Yle that she did not know of any injuries.

The exact cause of the fight was not immediately known.

The Nukari center was established in early 2016 to house asylum seekers who were minors at the time of arrival and had reached Finland alone.