BRUSSELS – Sixteen illegal immigrants were detained on the first night of a crackdown on people trafficking at Belgium’s ports.

On Tuesday, Zeebrugge’s port and town authorities met with Interior Minister Patrick Dewaele to discuss the problem of asylum seekers travelling to the United Kingdom through Zeebrugge.

On Thursday, it was reported that the following night, between 7pm and midnight, ‘Operation Beaufort 8’ was launched at the port and the first arrests made.

Police spokesman Els Cleemput said eight illegal immigrants were arrested at Zeebrugge, six in a train heading for the coast and two at the port terminal.

All were handed over to the Foreigners’ Office, which has deported some of the individuals.

The police said three Romanians, three people from the Maldives, two Afghans, a Moroccan and three people from the Indian sub-continent were among those arrested.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news