Police on Thursday said they were investigating a murder attempt after a 15-year-old boy assaulted another teenager with a knife at the Pournara migrant reception centre.
The alleged attack took place a few minutes before 2am, police said, who received information about an injured 17-year-old teenager at the reception centre in Kokkinotrimithia around 2.30am.
The victim was transferred to the Nicosia general hospital via ambulance. His condition is described as critical with doctors saying he requires surgery.
Nicosia police issued an arrest warrant against the 15-year-old boy, saying he allegedly fled the scene after the assault.
In an announcement, they said they are looking for Farah Hassan Farah, 15, from Somalia, published his photo on their website under wanted persons and asked anyone with any information to contact Nicosia CID on 22802222 or the closest police station or the citizen’s help line on 1460.
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Reports said police were investigating whether the murder attempt is related to the two mass fights which took place at the centre on Wednesday morning and Tuesday night.
More than 30 people were injured on Wednesday, with the majority being transported to the hospital.
Some workers were asked to leave, citing safety risks, eyewitnesses said.
Officers decked out in riot gear and members of the rapid response unit (MMAD) arrived at the centre and intervened. The brawl appears to have broken out over a misunderstanding during a basketball game but soon escalated amid accusations of theft.
Reports said the fight was amongst people of African descent, involving a group from Nigeria and another from the Congo.
It was condemned by Interior Minister Nikos Nouris who said such behaviour cannot become accepted.
“Cyprus welcomes those who arrive and provides what it can,” Nouris said, but added that this requires those seeking protection to act accordingly.
He said that Cyprus is bearing a great burden in the form of the migration issue with the demographic now reaching 4.6 per cent of the population and Congolese arrivals now the second largest group seeking protection.
“But Cyprus cannot face further burdens from the migration issue in the form of such behaviour [AS HAPPENED AT POURNARA],” he told CyBC radio.
The camp houses about 2,500 people – despite having an official capacity of 800 – many of whom are from Congo and Nigeria.
The conditions for those housed at Pournara have consistently been decried as dangerous and substandard.
The government places the blame on the large number of people seeking international protection within the Republic, leading to overcrowding and the stretching of resources.
In December, MPs from the House human rights committee visited the facility and said they were appalled by what they saw. But the interior ministry hit back, saying the government has always been open about the problems in the camp.
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