A gang of masked men have been detained in Stockholm after distributing leaflets threatening to punish “north African street children roaming” the Swedish capital.
Police said one man had been charged with assaulting a police officer and the others had been charged with wearing a mask in public, which is illegal in Sweden, and for causing a public disturbance.
A police spokesman told local media the men detained were believed to have gathered “with the purpose of attacking refugee children”.
According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, up to 100 masked men marched into central Stockholm on Friday to hand out leaflets carrying the message “It’s enough now” and threatening to give the “north African street children who are roaming around” the “punishment they deserve”.
Fredrik Nylén, of Stockholm police, was quoted by the newspaper as saying the men were thought to be members of hooligan gangs linked to Stockholm football teams.
This week an employee at a refugee centre for unaccompanied youths in Mölndal, near Gothenburg, was fatally stabbed, allegedly by a young man living at the centre.
The killing of Alexandra Mezher, 22, has led to questions about overcrowded conditions in some refugee centres, with too few adults and employees to take care of children, many of whom are traumatised by war.
Sweden’s prime minister, Stefan Löfven, said after visiting Mölndal: “I think many people are concerned and worried that there will be more violence since Sweden has received so many unaccompanied children and young people. Many of those who come young to Sweden have traumatic experiences, and there are no easy answers.”
According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the number of threats and violent incidents at asylum facilities more than doubled in 2015 compared with the previous year, as Sweden received a record number of refugee arrivals. The number of arson attacks targeting asylum shelters has also risen, with at least two dozen centres destroyed or damaged by fire last year.
Sweden received 160,000 arrivals last year, but numbers have dropped since photo ID checks were introduced this month.
