Police fed up with asylum commotion

1 August 2007

BRUSSELS – “If the appeal court upholds the interim injunction in the case of the Ecuadorians, we might as well stop trying to carry out the repatriation policy altogether,” says Philip Van Hamme, chairman of police union NSPV.

The repatriation officers who had to turn around and return Ana Cajamarca and her daughter Angelica on Monday are especially frustrated. Philip Van Hamme says that is why everyone is waiting anxiously for the decision of the appeal court.

“If that court upholds the decision from Monday, then we’re through. Then we might as well just forget about picking up and repatriating illegal aliens. It will become a circus. We expect that the court’s interim decision is just a stay of execution.”

“Our personnel are really wondering what they are supposed to be doing here. And that is not only true of the repatriation officers, but also of the officers who pick up illegal aliens on the street,” Van Hamme says.

Subject: Belgian news