HELSINKI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The arrival of police to take away an Afghan family for deportation on Monday escalated into a major confrontation between police and the remaining inhabitants of a refugee center in Jyvaskyla, Central Finland.
A two-officer team entered the Salmiranta refugee center, but the residents formed a human chain and forced the police to seek shelter inside the building, according to media reports.
During a seven-hour standoff, the police mobilized tens of officers in protective outfit. When the convoy left the center, police used pepper spray against demonstrators trying to throw themselves in front of the vehicles.
Although the police cordoned off the center, Finnish media outlets were able to interview the family and the protesters during the standoff. Two demonstrators were arrested.
Pekka Nuutinen, the head of the reception unit at the Finnish migration authority, told newspaper Keskisuomalainen that 11,000 of the 25,000 currently registered asylum seekers have already been given a negative decision. "It is obvious that their situation in the final phase of the process affects their mood," Nuutinen said.
Nuutinen said the outbreak in Jyvaskyla was exceptional, even though smaller skirmishes had been reported. He underlined that the police has legitimate right to fetch the people to be sent out from Finland.
Besides the Afghan couple, their eight-month-old son was also to be sent back. Interviewed by Finnish media via mobile video, the father said their life would be at risk in Afghanistan. Finnish national TV Yle said their deportation had received legal clearance in the court system.
There are 200 residents in the Red Cross operated Salmiranta facility.
