JRS Belgium release new report
DOUZE MOIS DANS LES CENTRES FERMÉS, DOUZE VIES BOULEVERSÉES

Thursday, 18 June – JRS-Belgium, in collaboration with in Amnesty International, CIRE, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen and a number of other NGO’s, have released a new report documenting the human cost of detention and the humiliation detainees often go through in these ordeals.

An extensive article summarising the report accompanied by comments from Christophe Renders and another NGO representative appeared in the Flemish newspaper “De Standaard”. The report is a reaction to the Minister of Asylum and Migration’s statement that she is making detention centres more human.  The release of the report coincided with World Refugee Day 2009.

The report documents the lives of twelve persons, mainly met by NGO visitors, who were detained in 2008. The Belgian Alien’s Office was somewhat upset by the release of this report, stating the report is guilty of being overly subjective and contains faulty information. Moreover, in the opinion of the Alien’s Office, the report is harmful for the reputation of Belgium.

The report is now available from www.jrsbelgium.org; alternatively you may click here