The Foreign Office, with the backing of the Brussels-North police zone (covering Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and Evere), conducted a monitoring exercise around 1 a.m. this morning (Monday).
It occurred at Brussels-North railway station. This was according to statements made today by the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration, Theo Francken (of the New Flemish Alliance).
These were backed up by the spokeswoman for the Brussels police zone, Audrey Dereymaeker.
Dereymaeker indicated, “This was a monitoring exercise by the Foreign Office targeting Brussels-North station and its vicinity. It is indeed part of the recent analysis by the Organ for Coordinating Threat Analysis (known as OCAM) so as to, in particular, monitor railway stations.”
She went on, “86 individuals were taken away for more in-depth questioning.” The Secretary of State, Theo Francken, mentions a figure of 81 individuals on Twitter, mainly Sudanese and Romanians.
Dereymaeker says it is the first time this winter that such a monitoring exercise has been carried out.
She says, “Previously, we have contacted several organisations and agencies to find migrant solutions. However, last night, there proved to be a number of them in the station.”
The Brussels Times
