About 200 asylum seekers from Afghanistan demonstrated outside the Immigration Service on Boulevard Pacheco in Brussels on Friday afternoon, according to the unofficial organisers of the protest and the police.
The demonstrators called for better treatment for Afghan asylum seekers in Belgium and dialogue with the federal government.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, it is important that countries around the world show compassion and solidarity towards Afghan refugees,” their spokesperson, Khalid Khan Hotak, explained. “These people have a right to safe refuge and decent living conditions.”
“Through this demonstration, we want to send a strong signal to the Belgian government and ask for a more inclusive approach towards Afghan refugees. The peaceful nature of this demonstration aims to initiate a constructive dialogue with all the players involved,” the spokesperson added.
