Shot down like an animal”
“On the morning of 15/09/2014, 10 policemen wanted to collect a Nigerian from the closed centre ‘Le Caricole’.
When he refused to accompany them they severely beat him and dragged him on the ground. They handcuffed him and he had blood on his face. He continued to scream. The police applied a medical mask, then one of them gave him an ‘injection’ with a kind of “revolver” whilst he stood a few feet away. The inmate collapsed immediately, did not move anymore and was brought into the police van. ” tells an eyewitness.
“It was awful ma’am,” said one inmate, “They shot him like an animal”
“Undercover Expulsion”
The next day, still in the deportation centre Caricole, warders came for a man to “go to the social worker” at 3 pm. Later they came for his things in his cell. It seems that he has been taken to the airport for his 4th attempt of deportation. This man had spent more than 4 months in a detention centre. He had been moved from centre to centre (Bruges, 127b, Caricole) following revolts against inhumane treatment in the centres. He had been warned of the deportation and had applied for asylum that should have suspended the deportation …. but the social worker from the centre had failed to lodge the asylum application to the relevant authorities!
“It’s an undercover expulsion” says one of his fellow prisoners.
Hunger strikes at detention centre Vottem:
For several months hunger strikes or attempted hunger strikes are initiated regularly collectively or individually in the centre. Several detainees are currently on hunger strike.
They want freedom and an end to the evictions.
One of them is at his 7th day of hunger strike in protest against the striter rules of detention: He is isolated in the secure wing of Vottem centre, without any contact with other inmates. With his lawyer he denounces the inhuman and degrading imprisonments and demands the release of all. A second inmate is on hunger strike for 12 days and has just been placed it in isolation this day (17/9/14).
Mail from deported man from Pakistan
Subject I am going to be mintal
Message I am R. N. I was in vottem and 127 BIS for 5 months now I am not
mentally and physically fit I forget the things and I have too much health
problems I don’t know what I do where I go I loss every thing in belgium my
health my family my every thing and there so many unjustice things happen to me
if you give me the time so I can tell you even you people will not believe that
what they did with me thanks you
SMS received
“Thank you for your support. You should also go to protest outside consulates in Brussels so that they do not give passes (laissez-passers) because we refuse to go in the plane and after they hit us but not in front of passengers. This is inhumane ! ”
“You can imagine my anger here 2 minutes ago. Imagine that Jacob (Director of Vottem detention centre) came to blackmail me. Either I sign the paper of my deportation to Algeria and I end my hunger strike, or his administration will make sure to revoke my conditional release. My anger is not over! ”
“You have to help us out of here and put pressure against the closed centres”
Demonstrations
A demonstration took place on 15 sept 14where 200 undocumented migrants from all backgrounds came together, from different occupations in Brussels. They are clamoring for a regularisation for all, the closure of detention centres and stop deportations.
Photos https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.535904626541145.1073741838.497839607014314&type=1
Afghans
Again an 19-year old Afghan part of the movement of Afghans of the Beguinage church was arrested and imprisoned in the detention center 127bis. A demonstration outside the Office for Foreigners (Office des étrangers) was held to demand his release this 17 sept. 2014 at 12:30
http://www.collectif-krasnyi.be/les-undocumented-Afghan du Beguinage-still-leur- mobilization /
