An under-construction migrant shelter project was sabotaged over the weekend on the frontier between Denmark and Sweden, the latest in a string of arson attacks on refugee buildings in Europe this year.

The camp, which was being established on the Danish island housing both Copenhagen’s international airport and the landfall of the famous Denmark-Sweden bridge was due to house 25 refugees, but construction has now been set back. The local mayor told reporters: “We are currently establishing water, sewer and electrical connections to the pavilions. But there has been vandalism. Petrol was poured into the pipes and over the electrical installations and then set ablaze”.

Mayor Eik Bidstrup said the arsonists had only hurt themselves and fellow taxpayers by committing the act, as construction would press ahead regardless and the local government would still have to foot the bill for repairs. He said “The refugees are coming and we need to help them and take care of them”, reports TheLocal.dk.

It is a familiar response by local officials to disapproval by citizens to the arrival of migrants and refugees – that by resisting, you only make things more difficult for yourself. In Germany in April a house being adapted for use as migrant accommodation was destroyed by fire before it could be opened – much in the same way as the Denmark attack this weekend. Following the blaze, an official in a community told townspeople they would have to take migrants into their town anyway – and give them accommodation in their own homes.

Breitbart London reported only yesterday on another mysterious fire at migrant accommodation, also in Germany. While the trend this year has been for non-fatal attacks on property to prevent their use, German police are now investigating the death of one 29-year-old Eritrean migrant who was found in a locked room in the building after the blaze, the other inhabitants having been able to escape. Reports indicate the blaze was started by an accelerant such as petrol.