Illegal alien who called police released

15 August 2007

BRUSSELS – The court in Brussels has ordered the release of an Ecuadorian woman who was living in Belgium illegally. The woman had initially been taken into custody when police discovered her illegal status after she made a call to emergency services.

Another woman still has to appear before the court.

On 4 August the Ecuadorian woman was spending the evening at the home of a friend, a Bolivian woman. Both are living in Belgium illegally.

Suddenly the ex-partner of the Ecuadorian woman showed up. The man was drunk and became violent. The women called the police but the man had left by the time they arrived.

The police asked the women to show identification and took them into custody when it emerged that they did not have any papers. They have been kept in the asylum centre in Bruges since that time.

The women’s lawyers insisted to the court that it is unacceptable that a person who calls the police in an emergency might be arrested in a situation like this.

The Ecuadorian woman also has a small child, who would be separated from her were she repatriated.

The court ordered that the Ecuadorian woman be released; the public prosecutor’s office is not appealing the decision. The Bolivian woman will appear in court at a later date.

Subject: Belgian news