They are sick of being treated like animals. No respect, no right at all. Some do not have any juridical assistance. When seriously ill, they can not see a doctor. If you want to see one, you must wait for 3 or 4 days. The doctor doesn’t listen to you, he doesn’t examine you, you just get a tablet.
They are sick of seeing all these people arrested by force everyday by ten policemen to be deported. They are sick of being the witnesses of new arrivals of people who got arrested while having lived in Belgium for many years, who sometimes have wifes and children here, a job etc.
So, on 14 July at 10 p.m. it was the final straw: some didn’t get their dinner, so they all decided not to eat that evening.
After discussing with the director, three of them were placed in solitary confinement; the three who had dared trying to initiate a dialogue with the management. After the arrest of their comrades, they were revolted and all shouted “Freedom!!” through the windows at the people who had gathered in front of the centre.
And tonight, 15 July, 25 of them decided to go on hunger strike as a sign of protest, hoping to benefit from the presence of the media and acts of solidarity to support them.
Detainees’ statement:
Following the lack of media information about the events of 14 July 2014
http://www.rtl.be/info/belgique/faitsdivers/1108815/intervention-de-la-police-au-centre-ferme-127-bis-pour-contenir-une-emeute-liee-au-ramadan
We declare that:
YES, we were allowed to respect Ramadan and were given meals at 10 p.m and 3 a.m; rotten meals, as usual in the centre;
YES, we were angry on 14 July when some of us did not get their meals and when 3 of us were placed in solitary confinement because they tried to initiate a dialogue with one of the directors.
YES, we continue to fight against these detentions and against our poor living conditions in closed centres.
YES, we are victims of these Belgian and European migration policies, like many others across Europe.
and YES, we will continue to fight against closed centres and for freedom!
Signed : Detainees of the 127bis closed centre in Steenokkerzeel
