What the EU’s politicians don’t want to see

Date: 09/03/06

In the church of St Boniface, less than two kilometres from the European Parliament, there are 130 asylum-seekers taking sanctuary.

They are squatting in makeshift tents, surrounded by their few belongings. Initially a group of eleven were on hunger strike in a bid to force the Belgian authorities to grant their claim. Last weekend, they were joined by the rest of the group in refusing food.

Surviving on water and salt alone the hunger-strikers look sick, discoloured, frail and weak with some of them already having been in and out of hospital on more than one occasion.

The group includes several nationalities: Algerians, Congolese, Iraqis, Russians and Iranians. They are all without papers.

"We have no rights, no insurance, no identity, we have nothing to show for ourselves," said Oweys Mohammed, one of the younger Iranians.

"If we get caught by the police we get put back in a closed centre. There is too much control and no freedom."

He described a closed centre as "like jail". "I have already been put in a closed centre, twice for two months, all for nothing. You are not allowed to go out."

"The problem is that we cannot go to any other country. We are stuck here, we cannot move. It as if there is a great big wall in front of us," said Oweys.

Having been finger-printed, he cannot leave Belgium.

Ibrahim for instance managed to get to the UK and was granted entry after undergoing an interview but he was later called in by the Home Office, arrested and sent back to Belgium following notification from the Belgian authorities.

"We made a mistake in coming here," said his friend Saiyd, "and if the situation in Iran were any better I would not stay here for one more minute."

"We came here looking for democracy," said 36-year-old Kamran Brlrl, "but we did not find it".

"We have no freedom and many of us have been here for years without being given documentation.

"It is a very strange and difficult situation to be in. You never know what tomorrow will bring."

Article reports on a group of 130 asylum-seekers taking sanctuaryIn the church of St Boniface, less than two kilometres from the European Parliament. In early March 2006 the group started a hunger strike in a bid to force the Belgian authorities to grant their claim.
Article is part of a European Voice Special Report, 'Migration policy'.