"Racism-Fuelled Violence Spreads in Cyprus: More Arrests Made by Police"

Police in Cyprus have made 20 arrests following a series of racist attacks against migrants, which began in the west of the island and spread to the city of Limassol. The violence included the smashing of storefronts belonging to migrants and assaults on Asian delivery drivers. Advocacy groups attribute the rise in anti-migrant sentiment to a mishandled response by state authorities to irregular migration and a tolerance of xenophobic rhetoric. The incidents have led to a protest by an Arab state ambassador and have caused embarrassment for the country.