Expatica news

Belgium expelled 32 ‘illegal immigrants’ a day in 2004

17 January 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgium forcibly expelled 32 illegal immigrants every day in 2004, a fall in the previous year’s figures.

The total of 6,367 forced returns meant that figures fell for the first time in three years, the Belgian press reported.

According to the office dealing with foreign nationals, the reluctance to force people onto planes home is due to the conviction last year of police officers accused of killing asylum seeker Semira Adamu.

Adamu died during efforts to restrain her when on a plane bound for Africa.

Last year 2,143 people arriving illegally at airports or borders were directly expelled, but this figure was 1,400 less than the year before.

The number of illegal immigrants forceably repatriated between 2001 and 2003 rose from 5,722 to 7,742.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news