Valletta – A riot at a migrants holding centre in Malta overnight partially destroyed the building and left one policeman injured, the Police said.
The violence started at about 10.30 p.m. (2030 GMT) on Sunday and continued through the night, local media reported.
Video footage showed parts of the building on fire and several cars torched.
Witnesses said they say saw migrants hurl objects at police.
It is still not known what sparked the riot at the camp in Hal Far, which hosts around 1,200 people, although witnesses said an altercation started after police barred some migrants from entering the centre.
A police spokesman said an officer was slightly injured.
EU-member Malta is feeling the strain of thousands of migrants, who arrived from North Africa this year, with humanitarian organisations lamenting the small Mediterranean island’s poor reception facilities. (dpa/NAN)