Angelica's legalisation request denied 02/11/2007 00:00

2 November 2007

BRUSSELS – Ecuadorean Angelica Cajamarca and her mother Ana will appeal the decision to reject their request for legalisation.

The Immigration Department (DVZ) has rejected the legalisation request from Angelica Cajamarca (11) and her mother Ana, according to a report from the RTBF that has been confirmed by the family's lawyers.

The two, who have been living in Belgium illegally, submitted their request for legalisation after their deportation was avoided at the last minute over the summer. On 30 July a judge decided in interim proceedings that the two should be released immediately. The argument was that their forced stay in closed centre 127 bis in Steenokkerzeel had been "inhumane and degrading."

The two were en route to Schiphol when the preliminary ruling came, set to be put on a plane bound for Ecuador. Because of the court decision their vehicle turned back to Belgium and deposited the mother and daughter at their home in Sint-Joost-ten-Node.

In October however the court said in its definitive ruling that there was no need for the two to remain under legal protection, and that they could be taken into custody.

The legalisation request was filed in the meantime but has now been rejected. "The Immigration Department says that their integration here is not an obstacle to their return to their own country," lawyer Selma Benkhelifa said. "We do not agree with that and will therefore appeal the decision."

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news