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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Elsa Vulliamy

Another building due to house child refugees in Sweden has been burned down by arsonists

Arsonist have set fire to a building due to house child refugees in Sweden - the second time the site has been targeted in recent weeks.

A local fire chief spoke of his anger following the attack on the former school in Härnösand, which has been converted into a home for young people fleeing war and persecution.

The building had already suffered damage in an apparent arson attack on April 9 and was in the process of being refurbished in order to house young asylum seekers and their parents, according to The Local.

Peter Hellstrom, fire and rescue unit chief in Härnösand, told the website: “It’s completely insane that someone is running around and lighting buildings on fire. It’s sick people doing this, that is clear.”

The fire follows a dozens of apparent arson attacks on buildings connected to refugee housing since October 2015.

In October, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said: “It is very serious. It is not the Sweden we want to see.” 

Local authorities in Umeå municipality in northern Sweden announced in October that they would be keeping the locations of their refugee housing a secret after four fires occurred in one week. 

Ewa Klingfors, director of the council’s social services told local paper Västerbottens-Kurinen: “After the past week’s fire incidents in southern Sweden I don’t think it’s okay to expose the addresses. The risk is that thugs decide to burn down the premises here as well.” 

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