Theo Francken describes Sammy Mahdi’s reception policy as “total chaos”. For the former Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration who intervened by telephone in the morning of Bel RTL, the left-wing government flouts human rights.
This Thursday morning, the federal deputy N-VA Theo Francken was the guest of Fabrice Grosfilley on Bel RTL. They notably tackled the sensitive file of the reception of asylum seekers.
Should tent villages be organized to accommodate asylum seekers?
“No, I don’t think that’s the best solution.”
This is the proposal envisaged by Sammy Mahdi who succeeded you as Secretary of State for Asylum…
“But who is going to do that? La Défense? Put up tents where? In the military barracks?”
There is obviously a reception problem at the moment. The administration of Sammy Mahdi has just been condemned very regularly because we no longer house people when we have to do so during the time of the procedure, once they have filed their application. Does that mean we’re poorly organized?
“It’s not that he is sentenced regularly, he is sentenced in a period of 5.5 months more than 1,000 times. So it’s not regularly but every day.”
You are still not known for having been the most welcoming towards asylum seekers…
“I was never sentenced 1,000 times in 5 months. I gave everyone a bed, a bread, a bath, as it is our responsibility, as it is provided for in the law. International law and Belgian law. I did my job. This government of the left now does not do it. We always talk about the rights of human beings, now we see in practice that these rights are tackled, are flouted. Every day we see that now. The rights of human beings are international law and we respect that or it’s something ridiculous. But we can say “Mr. Francken, oh his politics were horrible” and now see that it’s There is total chaos on the asylum file.”
That means you’re lecturing Sammy Mahdi. Does this mean that he must reinvest and welcome everyone?
“He must start the deterrence campaigns. I did a lot of that because now we are the second country after Austria to receive the most asylum seekers.”
But once the people are there, do we have to welcome them and house them?
“It’s clear, we have to do it. It’s our job and that’s what the law says. The current situation where we don’t structurally give beds to asylum seekers is not tenable.”