After our article about Outrageous practices at the closed centre 127 bis in Steenokkerzeel.https://www.gettingthevoiceout.org/outrageous-practices-at-the-closed-centre-127-bis-in-steenokkerzeel-27-
Testimony :
Shortly after being forcibly deported to Nigeria, a former detainee of
127bis wanted to share with one of our activists the abuses he suffered
and the violence of the Belgian detention and deportation system. Here
are some extracts from their conversation:
Deported person : « (…) I was dragged along to an isolated room, stripped naked
at the 127bis, repatriation centre in Brussels, Belgium (…), and was
later escorted to the airport in a van with two security guards, when I
refused to go back to Nigeria, I was dragged out the van, because I have refused
repatriation twice. I have been repatriated without any money at all and nothing to
survive, How could Belgium be so mean? Or maybe it was an individual
or governmental wickedness ».
Activist : « Apparently you were asked by the Nigerian police to pay for
the ticket, is that true? »
Deported person : « Yes, I was placed a debt by the airline to pay my ticket »
Activist : « When did they inform you about your repatriation? Did you get a
notification? Did you do a covid test? »
Deported person : « (..) no notification, I got the message the very same day and was
taken after a few hours. No covid test »
Activist : « Just one other question : did you have the opportunity to
call your lawyer when you learned about your deportation ? »
Deported person : « I was not given any, even when I asked for it »
Deported person : « I am still trying to recover from the biggest shock of
my life, living in an unknown country, fearing for my life, with no roof
over my head, becaus I have lost everything, and I was sent back with nothing, where do I start from now? »
STOPDEPORTATIONS
