Legal action over treatment of Maximilian Park refugees

The Belgian state is facing legal action from a human rights charity over its treatment of migrants camping around Maximilian Park in Brussels.

The League of Human Rights plans to lodge a formal complaint with Brussels' public prosecutor's office, as police activity around the camp has intensified in recent weeks.

An Immigration Office spokesperson said checks had been carried out on 592 migrants around the park and neighbouring Brussels North station between 9 June and 7 September. Most of them came from Sudan, Eritrea and Syria - and one in 10 of them were unaccompanied minors.

League of Human Rights president Alexis Deswaef told RTBF that he believes that "crimes" have been committed by law enforcement officers - accusing them of "degrading human treatment" and "non-assistance towards people in danger".

"When the police come at 6.00 in the morning, when people are still asleep, check everyone and arrest 70 people in two days, we're clearly talking about a raid," he said.

"These people's fundamental rights are not being respected - no access to healthcare, no legal information on how to seek asylum, no housing.

"What is happening in the park is an absolute disgrace. Citizens and volunteers are having to make up for a lack of government help."

The legal complaint is expected to be directed towards Belgium's federal secretary of state for migration Theo Francken, interior minister Jan Jambon and the mayors of Brussels and Schaerbeek, Philippe Close and Bernard Clerfayt.