Detainees often tell us that they introduce asylum requests in closed centres and that the social assistance of the centre doesn’t send these requests to the Foreigners Office. They are therefore not being considered. One of them even got deported without being able to introduce his new asylum request.
A Congolese man likely to be deported to Bulgaria introduced a request of voluntary return to his country because he doesn’t want to hear about Europe anymore. The social assistant would have received a postive answer from the Foreigners Office. The detainee concerned did not get any document confirming this agreement and although we’ve consulted all the bodiees in charge of voluntary returns, we never found any evidence of this request. Our friend has been waiting for this return promised by the social assistant for several weeks at the closed centre.
Censorship at the 127 bis ‘EVERYTHING IS OK HERE MADAM’
When in touch with the detainees, THE one and only answer we get is ‘EVERYTHING IS OK HERE MADAM’, a sentence seemingly learn by heart by all.
However:
-An Iranian man tried to hang himself at the 127 bis closed centre on November 6th. All the detainees were in a state of shock. We did not manage to get more information about this man’s fate. He is not anymore in the centre say his vriends.Where is he?
-On Sunday November 9th at 11 p.m., we heard that several detainees climbed up the roof. The day after, we rang our contacts and the answer we got was: ‘EVERYTHING IS OK HERE MADAM’. We learnt through other sources that 5 persons were placed in solitary confinement in anticipation of a transfer the same morning!
-Other testimony: ‘According to the person I saw, the tensions are heavy in the men’s area every night. The police would be there every night. There would be fights amongst the detainees and protests against the food.
It clearly seems that tensions are strong and that orders were given to the detainees of the 127 bis under the threat by ??? There is no contact with the outside and if there is, the motto is ‘EVERYTHING IS OK HERE MADAM’.
Other information on 12/11/2014: Some wings of the closed centres of Vottem and 127 bis are almost empty. This might suggest important raids (by the end of the year?) or a massive collective flight to come.
Solitary confinement in Vottem
19 prisoners who are since a few months in the closed centre of Vottem started a hunger strike on November 6th to claim for freedom!On 11/11 9 of them continue there hungerstrike.,2 were bringing in medical isolation.
A man who has been for almost 8 months in the closed centre and who was transfered from centre to centre several times had to be moved to another aisle of the closed centre of Vottem. When the guards asked him to move he refused, consierding that one could not play with him like that all the time and he said “I’m not your poodle’. he was placed in solitary confinement.
A man who had been lying on his bed for 10 days because off heavy pains in his back was placed in solitary confinement on November 11th.
Same fate for a man who would have swallowed razor blade…
Some guards who were going to be on strike for two days asked a few prisoners ‘to create mayhem in the centre during these two days of strike!
Merksplas
An Armenian man seriously ill and imprisoned since one month in the closed centre of Merksplas got through his first deportation attempt on Saturday November 8th. See the call by the CRER http://regularisation.canalblog.com/archives/2014/11/07/30912122.html
