Belgium: Immigrants occupy church to put pressure on authorities
Manos (IMC UK & Brussels correspondent) | 28.10.2005 10:45 | Migration | World
        
        Since Wednesday, about 20 irregularised immigrants are occupying the Saint-Boniface church, Rue de la Paix at Ixelles (Brussels, Belgium).
      
    
     
    
        
        They are calling for other irregularised immigrants to join their action to lobby for regularisation for all. Already about another 20 people have joined their ranks. 
Ali, the spokesperson of UDEP (Union pour la Défense des Sans-Papiers -- Union for the defense of irregularised immigrants) that is present there, explained that unlike the action of the Iranian immigrants at the church des Minimes, the current occupation is not additionally making use of hunger strikes to put pressure on the political authorities. "Since the government talks about blackmail and disrespect for the democratic decision making process when we use hunger strikes, we have decided to occupy the church without stopping eating, to show them that we do respect democracy", said Ali.
Backgound information (in french):
UDEP Call: http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/322.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/322.php 
Urgent needs: http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/330.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/330.php 
Summary of the solidarity groups assembly:
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/337.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/337.php
      
    
  Ali, the spokesperson of UDEP (Union pour la Défense des Sans-Papiers -- Union for the defense of irregularised immigrants) that is present there, explained that unlike the action of the Iranian immigrants at the church des Minimes, the current occupation is not additionally making use of hunger strikes to put pressure on the political authorities. "Since the government talks about blackmail and disrespect for the democratic decision making process when we use hunger strikes, we have decided to occupy the church without stopping eating, to show them that we do respect democracy", said Ali.
Backgound information (in french):
UDEP Call:
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/322.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/322.php Urgent needs:
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/330.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/330.php Summary of the solidarity groups assembly:
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/337.php
 http://216.17.145.89/news/2005/10/337.php
      
      
        Manos (IMC UK & Brussels correspondent)
        
      
      
      
        
        
      
    
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