Women detained in the closed centre in Bruges:

Update: On 08/25 9.30 p.m., at least two Congolese women were placed in confinement with no reason and not allowed to warn anyone. Women in the centre are very worried and fear a surprise deportation for them. 

Togo, Congo, Morocco, Brazil, Guinea,………

They are about fifteen retained in their ‘wing’.

They were arrested at the airport, at home, in an open centre, in a public space, between Antwerp and Verviers.

They are being accused of marrriage in name only, of having lied during their asylum request, of travelling with fake papers, of not being as sick as they claim to be, etc.

They have been detained for several weeks, sometimes months.

Some of them were taken away from a desperate husband or a child.

Most of them already had to go through at least one deportation attempt to which they resisted, some two or three attempts were extremely violent.

One of them had a miscarriage in the centre.

They are desperate and angry but united! 

They all chose to come and live here, and there are plenty of things they could bring and share with us!

A few cases among others:

– A woman got married in Morocco in 2007 with a Belgian guy. At the commune she was told that the wedding had been registered but not recognised! They should go back to Morocco and get divorced there to be able to get married again here! She was arrested and detained when six months’ pregnant. She had a miscarriage in the centre. Her husband is desperate. She went through a second deportation attempt on July 31st.

– A woman has been detained in Bruges for 4 months. She was arrested at the airport. She was fleeing a dangerous situation in Congo. Her asylum request was refused because she was travellilng with fake papers. She went through two deportation attempts, the second of which was extremely violent.

– A woman has been detained for several weeks. She denied the existence of her son out of fear they would try to deport him too. She is very worried about his son who is currently at friends’.

– A young woman is seriously ill. She will not get the necessary treatment for her illnesses in her country of origin. Her deportation would clearly mean a sentence to death. She was being taken care of by Fedasil, waiting for a 9ter regularisation. The police controlled her and brought her to a closed centre following an order of the Foreigners Office. A theatre band was ready to hire her because she is keen on playing theatre. .http://www.gettingthevoiceout.org/loffice-des-etrangers-me-demande-de-rentrer-pour-mourir/ !

– A woman went through a second deportation attempt which was extremely violent. A women member of CRACPE who was present at the airport to speak to the passengers got arrested for more than an hour.