A judge has ruled that the demand of five asylum seekers to have their cases put on hold is unfounded, according to the cabinet of State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi.
The five are part of the group of 475 undocumented migrants who went on hunger strike last year demanding regularisation of their situation, Bruzz reports. They decided in January to initiate summary proceedings to enforce the agreement reached in July with Mahdi and asked for any decision on their files to be put on hold.
However, a judge has now ruled that their demand is unfounded and that their files, as well as those of other hunger strikers, can be processed.
"This speaks for itself, but it is reassuring that the judge agrees with us in this case. The cases will now be decided on further. The most humane policy is to give people clarity about their future as soon as possible," Mahdi said in a statement on Twitter.
Vanzelfsprekend, maar toch geruststellend dat rechter ons in deze zaak gelijk geeft ? Dossiers worden verder beslist. Het meest menselijke beleid is mensen zo snel mogelijk duidelijkheid geven over hun toekomst. https://t.co/ZbokJ3CLbU
— Sammy Mahdi (@SammyMahdi) February 14, 2022
He clarified that there could never be a more lenient treatment, which he explained during a special hearing in Parliament with Director-General Freddy Roosemont (DVZ) and Special Envoy Dirk Van den Bulck.
“If we give more lenient treatment to people who organise a hunger strike in a church, you will get dozens of new actions tomorrow,” Mahdi said.
“I have always promised them that I will continue to look at the files humanely. And that is what happens. But a policy in which I am more lenient towards people on hunger strike, that seems to me anything but a humane approach.”
Cases still being processed
According to a spokesperson and lawyer Marie Doutrepont, it appeared at the time of the judicial filings that only about a hundred of the 475 files submitted to the Immigration Department had already been processed.
In the meantime, 150 decisions have been sent concerning 173 people, Mahdi's office said on Monday. Of these, 35 received a positive response 137 a negative one. In one case, the person who filed an application has since left the country. Others are still being processed.
“It is good that the files can continue to be processed because that means people get a decision and know where their future lies,” said Mahdi. “The most humane thing is just to be able to give clarity to everyone as soon as possible.”
