11/11/2013
The fight of the Congolese in the closed centres:
Since the grouped flight that brought 10 Congolese and our Minister De Crem to Congo on 27th October 2013, around 30 Congolese are still detained in our closed centres in view of a deportation.http://www.gettingthevoiceout.org/collective-flight-rdc-fr/
Some of them heard that a new grouped flight would be organised for them.
Just as for the 10 Congolese who got deported on 27th October 2013, the next deported will disappear either in jails or in clandestinity, pursued by the ANR (National Intelligence Agency). See Unsafe Return UK http://justicefirst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/UNSAFE-RETURN-I1-October-3-14-50.pdf
At the 127bis, on Friday 8th November 2013, one delegate of the embassy accompanied by delegates of the Foreigners Office, the CGRA and police forces arrived to identify the ‘deportables’. One of the supposed Congolese asked them if asylum still existed. The answer was: ‘this is a wide question Sir!’.
Many of them are still in their appeal process but the delegation systematically told them that they had no evidence of these appeals.
An Angolese man got a free pass to DRC from the Congolese embassy. He was supposed to stay in isolation for the first deportation attempt but he refused for several hours, after which 12 security guards forced him to the isolation cell and he was brought to the airport the day after. He continued to oppose to his deportation and he was brought back to the centre. He feels desperate and after the risk of deportation to Congo and the bad treatments he goes through in the centre, he considers a voluntary return to Angola, ready to leave behind all the things he built in Belgium.
A Congolese man was arrested in his room in a Red Cross open centre and brought to a closed centre.
A woman detained for more than three months is desperate: she was given a ticket for a flight to Congo. She is hesitating and might accept it because she is absolutely knackered, even though it would imply severe risks for her if she went back to her country.
Afghans
This week, as far as we know, 4 young Afghans were deported to Kabul. The Afghans’ support committee was at the airport to try and prevent these deportations, talking to the passengers of the supposed flight. Unfortunately, the dates, times and airlines of the deportations are now systematically being changed by the Office to prevent our actions.
Members of the support committee organised an action at the airport with a banner “Stop deportations” and a theatre play to protest against deportations.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.737015066312646.1073741831.209714972375994&type=1
Closed centre of Vottem
At the closed centre of Vottem on the 4th of November bed sheets caught fire in a cell: firemen and the police intervened and 5 people were placed in isolation cells with violence.http://www.gettingthevoiceout.org/a-vottem-on-se-chauffe-au-drap-fr/
In Vottem again, this 9th of November, a man psychologically heavily disturbed was placed in isolation. His co-detainees went on a hunger strike in order to protest. The management very quickly released the man and the others stopped their action.
This Sunday 10th of November, the screw protested during one hour. Would they have enough of their work? (Screw resign!)
This 11th of November, detainees warned us of the arrival of a new person extremely unstable psychologically. “His place is not here” they say… more info to come.
127 bis Closed centre
At the 127bis, a man tried to escape this 9th of November. The police came in force and the man got arrested. The detainees rather tend to laugh about this kind of force deployment because of ‘a tiny escape attempt!’
