Es of Afghan refugee rally in Belgium, multiplying the occupations of buildings and
demonstrations against evictions. They undergo repression without thank you. ---- For
several months, Brussels is the seat of an important fight of more than 400 Afghan
refugee-es. It is the largest mobilization of Afghan refugees has known Belgium. Es came
from all regions of Belgium, they are self-organized in the Collective Afghans. Alongside
immigrant-es, a support committee was created to fight daily against the immigration
policies of the Belgian State. The Collective of Afghans carries political demands: a
moratorium on deportations to Afghanistan, the release of all Afghan women and all Afghans
held in detention centers and refugee status for all es. It was in September that the
movement is growing, with a series of occupations of buildings.
Afghan Afghans and first occupied an empty building social Samu close to European and
federal institutions. From there, they lead daily events to be heard by the es-Secretary
of State for Asylum and Migration, Maggie De Block. Despite their engagement, they get to
one answer, a cynical end of inadmissibility. Worse, the movement disturbs and September
25, when they occur in the vicinity of the Prime Minister Socialist Elio Di Rupo, the
protesters and demonstrators face the repressive apparatus of the state. The police
charged the protesters (including children), injuring several people. During the arrests,
some seventy Afghans will be sent to detention centers. The next day, the protesters will
be evicted from their occupation by a large deployment of police. Despite this, the
undocumented will not give up the fight.
Police violence and expulsions
Each new expulsion is followed by a new occupation. Each time, you have to start, but who
cares, the movement remains. On 22 October, while Afghan and Afghans show, the police
raided the building they occupy. Afghans, informed the police operation, improvise a
sit-in. New police intervention, a new wave of repression and violence. One of them
suffered a concussion. The raid on more than 170 arrests their lawyer. The weeks pass and
mobilization continues but nothing seems to happen. The crackdown is aimed at both Afghan
refugee-es and their Afghan supporters. And the death of a refugee deported to Kabul and
murdered by the Taliban that dripped from Belgium, did he seem moved the government.
Today, Afghans continue seamless mobilization. But to make the perennial fight and reverse
the balance of power, they will face a double challenge. First, expand the fight, not only
to Afghans but to all undocumented immigrants in Belgium, to globalize the fight against
migration policies. And secondly, to find support across the social movement, beginning
with workers' unions.
Naj and Nico (AL Brussels)
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