On Monday morning, approximately 100 undocumented immigrants protested on Rue de la Loi in front of the office of Theo Francken, Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and Administrative Simplification, and in front of the headquarters of CD&V (Christian democratic Flemish political party). They were demanding to be granted residency. The rally, organised by the Front des Migrants, had another goal, to “remind Belgian authorities of the situation of undocumented aliens.” The procession included representatives from la Voix des Sans-Papiers (organisation fighting for the rights of undocumented immigrants), from the Ebola group, from CRER (a lobby against roundups and expulsions of immigrants and supporting their regularisation), from Kids Parliament, and also included private citizens.
Undocumented aliens are getting organised, rallying round and are now ready to act, explained Oscar Flores, the CRER spokesperson.
La Voix des Sans-Papiers lobby for the regularisation and the subsidiary protection of the 200 people they represent, of which approximately 50 are on hunger strike. The Ebola group requests temporary residence permits and a moratorium on expulsions towards Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, until the epidemic is under control.
Lastly, Kids Parliament asks that the best interests of the child be taken into account when applications for regularisation are made.
(Source: Belga)
