Micheline came to Belgium one year ago. Her dad, mum and brother have been living here since 1986. The father had been recognised as a political refugee upon his arrival in Belgium.
She wanted to join her family because her dad is seriously ill. He is paralysed and can not talk anymore.
She introduced an asylum request as soon as she arrived. While waiting for the answer to that request, she first lived in an open centre and then at her parents’ in Woluwe-St-Lambert. After the negative answer by the Office, the police came to pick her up at her place on November 2nd 2013.
She has been retained in the closed centre in Steenokkerzeel since then.
She experienced her 3rd deportation attempt this 15/02/2014.
She was sitting at the back of the plane with her hands tied and surrounded by 12 policemen. She cried, horrified by this violence and extremely upset having to leave her sick father whom she’d probably never see again.
The passengers of the flight, among whom one Member of Parliament, found the way she was treated by her escort absolutely unacceptable and they protested at them. Several of them had to get off the plane, including Micheline.
During her return to the closed centre she was beaten and knocked around by her escort.
Micheline is in a state of shock and can hardly witness what happened. She wants to stay closed to her father and look after him.
