News from the closed centres, 12 May 2012

127 bis: 
a lot of stress in the centre, many discussions, one suicide attempt, conflicts among detainees and isolation of recalcitrant individuals.

Two persons have been in a hunger strike for one week: one national from Maghreb and one from the Palestinian Occupied Territories. The Moroccan has stopped his hunger strike. The Palestinian was taken away while on a walk and has since disappeared.

An Afghan who was deported last week is said to be in jail in Kabul (to be confirmed).
A second Afghan will be subject to his second deportation attempt on May 13th. An appeal is spreading to prevent this deportation http://detention.theowlseyes.info/http://detention.theowlseyes.info/
You can listen to his interview here : We can clearly detect the distress of the people who need to be welcomed and who, once deported, will be again confronted with the situations who made them flee their country. They may expect imprisonment and other threats. This is absolutely opposite to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (for those who need agreements or conventions signed by the States in order to assess what is right).

Six Afghans are currently detained in 127bis.

One man from the Ivory Coast faced his fourth forced deportation attempt to Israel on May 10th!

One Syrian man, Omar, was deported to Poland (due to the European “Dublin” rules). He is currently in an open centre in the country. There was a lot of international pressure around that issue.

Steenrock May 5th: positively perceived by many in the centre, lots of lively debates followed in the centre.  http://www.gettingthevoiceout.org/closed-centres-humanitarian-or-repressive/
Other case, other situation: Zalia who was detained for six months and who was finally released. She got married and is happy. She thanks everybody!

On May 11th, a man who had arrived from Tunisia a few days before slashed his wrists, he was brought to the hospital and then escaped from there.

On May 11th, violent altercations among detainees: isolation of three of them.

Bruges

A mother and his son, from Georgia, got detained after having lived five years in Belgium.

Vottem
Mr May, handicapped, from Tunisia, faced his second deportation attempt on May 13th.

Caricole : moving ended on May 8th. The occupants of 127bis now have new ‘locked up’ premises.

Merskplas
Riot on May 10th, exteremly violent according to some.
We had received calls in the morning to warn us and ask for help.http://detention.theowlseyes.info/category/Merksplas

On May 11th, we heard that some 40 policemen had entered the centre, hit all the participants to the riot, and that five people have been put in isolation. Everything is now back to normal and security has been reinforced.
To be noted that the “rules of procedures” say: the “rules” allow a “disciplinary regime” and measures of coercion at the discretion of the centre’s management.

Three Afghans in Merksplas are totally desperate.