Welcome to Belgium! Stop imprisonment!

Big gathering against the opening of a new detention centre “Le Caricole” in Steenokkerzeel, 18 December 2011 02:00 p.mMeeting point: Nossegem station 02:00 p.m
Departure from Brussels:
by bike / Schuman roundabout 12:45 a.m
by train/ Central station 01:40 p.m

A new detention centre called ‚Le Caricole‘ due to its spiral shape will soon be inaugurated in Steenokkerzeel, not far from the “127bis” centre. One more prison to lock in men, women and children who only tried to improve their lives or to flee unbearable situations.  The oldest Belgian detention centre (127bis) was a makeshift building. After 23 temporary years, 23 years of Belgium being condemned for its particularly inhuman management of migrants‘ deportation, this brand new ‚Caricole‘, in its new architectural concept, will be replacing the prefabricated buildings of 127 and the INAD building, for the trifling sum of 10 millions €. One is dreaming of such a budget to solve the asylum crisis.

Do we have to go along with those who will be sabering champagne bottles in Steenokkerzeel in December to celebrate the inauguration of this new model prison?

NO: because under the cover of better detention conditions, this highly secured panoptic will also have as a function to isolate the ‚difficult cases‘.
NO: because, in accordance with perfectly disgraceful European directives, the centre will make the principle of migrants‘ imprisonment even more perpetual and we want this under no condition.
NO: because European directives and political pressure in our country have encouraged our Migration minister to reform the asylum procedure, enabling a faster expulsion of the claimants to so-called ’safer‘ countries, and preventing almost any resort by these expelled refugees.
NO: because since the circular of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration policies on , June 10th 2011 that broadens the powers and obligations of the communes in the field of monitoring the people having introduced a regularisation request, people who don’t have papers are being arrested in their house or through trickery in ‚fake‘ summonings, without being allowed to claim for their right to defend themselves.
NO: because pretend to humanize a policy that in itself flouts the most fundamental rights has absolutely no sense and can only be the fact of a more and more inhuman society.

For free migrations!
For the freedom of movement and living of everyone!
No to the criminalisation of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers!
No to the ‚Caricole‘ and all the other detention centres!
Any imprisonment is inhuman.