Belgian news in brief, 20 October 2005

Church protest by asylum-seekers

Around 20 asylum-seekers are occupying Saint-Boniface Church in Brussels’ Ixelles in a bid to persuade the government to grant them residence in Belgium. The protesters, who entered the church on Wednesday with the permission of the vicar, are being backed by l’Union de defense de sans-papiers (literally ‘the Union for the Defence of Those Without Papers’). The group claims Belgium and the EU are operating a repressive policy on immigration.

A Belgian artist remembered

Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon died on Thursday, aged 71, from leukaemia. On Thursday, the media looked back on his impressive career which included drawing for The New Yorker and Esquire, producing illustrations for books by the likes of Ray Bradbury and Franz Kafka and exhibiting his paintings, posters and sculptures around the world. In 2000, he opened the Foundation Folon in La Hulpe, Wallonia, where some 300 of his works of art are on show.

More divorces – but more marriages

Figures released on Thursday show Belgium recorded 63 more divorces in 2004 compared to the previous year. Some 31,418 couples were divorced in contrast to 31,355 in 2003. However, 43,326 couples were married – up on the 41,777 who tied the knot the year before.

Subject: Belgian news