Updated 6.45am

Armed officers were called to an Armed Forces barracks in Safi on Monday night following reports that migrants detained there were angrily protesting their captivity.

Migrants banged on gates and yelled "freedom", in cries that broke through the quiet night sky.

Reports that up to 300 people were involved in the protest could not be confirmed.  

Police told Times of Malta on Tuesday morning that the protest, which had broken out around 9.45pm, had subsided with nobody injured and no arrests made. No further information was available. 

Cries of 'freedom' could be heard from inside the barracks. Video: Mark Zammit Cordina

The protest prompted a beefy response from officials. A Times of Malta photographer at the scene reported seeing members of the police's Special Intervention Unit, dog squad and Armed Forces of Malta members in riot gear on site.

Until at least midnight, authorities appeared to be waiting outside the barracks for the residents' anger to subside, while ambulances and teams of paramedics were also present on standby. Police could not confirm how long the protest lasted. 

Hundreds of people are currently being kept inside the Safi barracks. Many of them were brought to Malta as part of relocation deals negotiated with EU member states, and are being held in Malta pending relocation elsewhere.

The AFM was unable to provide any details. 

Soldiers and police officers at the site late in the night. Video: Mark Zammit Cordina

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