Flemish far-right party calls for people to report ‘illegal immigrants’
Le Monde reports that yesterday, 10th April 2012, the Flemish seperatist far-right party Vlaams Belang published a website calling on people to inform the authorities about the ‘tens of thousands’ of undocumented people who they say are working on the black market, are involved in criminality and who fradulently claim state benefits.
The Director of the Centre pour l’égalité des chances et de lutte contre le racisme, Jozef De Witte, reacted strongly to this move on Radio 1, saying that this campaign is similar to those led by the Nazis and the Stasi. The European Commission also condemned the website, saying that such initiatives “do not correspond to the values which we defend“.
Day four of hunger strike for detainee in Coquelles
On 4th April a person from Iran began a hunger strike, refusing any food, in Coquelles detention centre, Calais. He is facing deportation to Hungary – a country he has never been to – under the Dublin II regulation, and is refusing to eat until his release or death.
Officers in Coquelles deny that the hunger strike is a political act and have labelled him crazy. They have also refused
visitors to see him together with his English-speaking friend.
He has been in detention for 22 days and under French law can be held for up to 45 days without charge.
For more info see Calais Migrant Solidarity website.
March in support of the VUB hunger strikers, Brussels, 11/04/12
The hunger strikers, who are staying at VUB (Vrije Universiteit van Brussel), are in very poor health, very weak and unable to fight off infection, but they are determined to continue their action until they get papers to live and work in Belgium.
Hunger strikes in Merkplas and Vottem migrant prisons
Getting the Voice Out reports that on 4th April a hunger strike begun in a wing of Merkplas migrant prison. Within hours the poiice had transferred the hunger strikers to other migrant prisons or had put them in segregation,
Meanwhile a Kurdish male had been on hunger strike for the past week in Vottem migrant prison. CRACPE (Collectif de Résistance Aux Centres Pour Etrangers) and a Kurdish community group have called for a demo outside the centre at 4pm tomorrow, 07/04/12, to show solidarity.
Roma camp evicted in Essonne, 05/04/12
A Roma camp in Massy, in the department of Essonne south of Paris, was evicted by police at 6am yesterday ( Thursday 5th April), Liberation reports.
According to ASEFRR (Association de Solidarité en Essonne aux Familles Roms et Roumaines), 147 adults and 53 children lived on the site.
Arrests following occupation of UMP offices in Lille
On Friday 30th March 2012, the Comité des Sans-Papiers 59 occupied the UMP offices in Lille. The occupation lasted a few hours before police arrested 7 sans-papiers, releasing one later in the evening but taking the others to Lesquin where they risk being deported.
Papers for the hunger strikers! Demo at Gare Centrale, Brussels, 29/03/11
At the time of writing (23rd March) there are 23 sans-papiers who have been on hunger strike for 70 days. They are demanding a work permit for a minumum of one year. A demo has been called for Thursd ay 29th March at Gare Centrale in solidarity with their struggle.
Demo against Vottem migrant prison, Liege, 18/03/12
Tomorrow, Sunday 18th March, there will be a march from the centre of Liege to the closed detention centre at Vottem to denounce closed centres and demand an asylum policy which truly respects human rights. The march is taking place on the 13th anniversary of the opening of Vottem and has been organised by CRACPE, Collectif de Résistance Aux Centres Pour Etrangers.
Arson attack on Roma squat in Paris, 24/02/12
During the night of 13th/14th February, around 140 Roma including young children who were squatting in an abandoned factory were awoken by a fire in a suspected arson attack which destroyed their entire squat. Happily there were no injuries or fatalities. The Roma have been placed in emergency accommodation in a gym by the mairie de Vaulx en Velin.