The Collectif contre les expulsions (CCLE) is an independent organization created in 1998 in Brussels to defend the Freedom of movement and to support illegal immigrants detained in Immigrants detention centre that are managed by the Belgian Immigration Office. Almost 8 000 people waiting for their expulsion or rejection order are detained in these detention centres.
Giving priority to Nonviolent resistance and Civil disobedience, the CCLE doesn’t want to assume a position “for” illegal immigrants but “with” them.
The legislation
In Belgium, the General Directorate of the Immigration Office is charged of foreign policy. Fundamental rules are mentioned in the Law of 15 December 1980 on the access to the territory, stay, establishment and return of the foreigners and in the Belgian Royal Decree of 8 October 1981. Article 77 of this law punishes “everyone who knowingly help a foreign […] for his entry or illegal stay” by imprisonment from 8 days up to three months and a fine of 1 700 up to 6 000 euros. According to the same law, this rule “will not apply if the aid or assistance to the foreigners is mainly offered for humanitarian reasons”
Existing legislation has been tightened with the Law of 13 April 1995 incorporating all the measures necessary for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and Child Pornography with the aim of introduce more serious punishments against organised crime.