6,000 march in Brussels for migration secretary to quit

More than 6,000 people joined a demonstration on Saturday calling for the resignation of Belgium's asylum and migration secretary Theo Francken for his decision to expel Sudanese migrants back to their country of origin last summer.

Representatives from about 20 human rights associations were among those who marched from North Station to the New Grain Market, two weeks after an initial protest over Francken's handling of the case.

Francken has faced calls to quit the government after Sudanese officials were allowed to question migrants in Brussels' Maximilian park last September. Nine migrants were deported back to Sudan - several of whom say they were then tortured.

March organisers accuse the Flemish politician of "non-compliance with his mandate, non-compliance with court decisions and the rule of law, violation of the constitution and laws by sending migrants back to torture and inhumane and degrading treatment".

They also condemned his "racist remarks", after Francken spoke last year of "cleaning up" the Maximilian park camp with a police raid in which several migrants were arrested.

Campaigners point to Sudan's record of human rights abuses. Its president, Omar al-Bashir, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide charges.

Photo: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga