"There is more unrest at reception centers than there has been in the past. The most common symptom behind this is depression. Negative decisions can cause anxiety. If disagreements or conflicts crop up, some people lose their temper and end up fighting," Lehto said, as quoted by Finland's Yle broadcaster.
The official noted that it could be caused by negative asylum decisions.
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For his part, Ari Jokinen, a police inspector at the National Police Board, said he believed that the security situation in the reception centers had not deteriorated.
According to the broadcaster, Finland’s reception centers house about 11,400 asylum seekers throughout the country, about 9,000 of whom have received a negative asylum decision.
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