Congolese Bites His Way Out Of Deportation
Expatica, July 6
BRUSSELS — A Congolese asylum seeker managed to prevent his deportation from Belgium recently by biting the officers escorting him on a flight back to his home country.
The incident — which took place on 25 June at the Zaventem Airport — saw the Congolese man bite the hand of a police officer before he had even stepped onto the plane.
The man was then placed in handcuffs and placed onto the plane, news agency news agency ‘Belga’ revealed on Tuesday.
But shortly before take-off the man got out of his seatbelt and again bit escorting police officers. One of the officers received bite wounds to his arm, leg and back. He was unable to work for four days.
On orders from the pilot, the man’s deportation was abandoned and the public prosecution office was informed of the incident.
But despite the nature of the assault, the prosecutor has refused to press charges against the asylum seeker.
In response, the Liberal government union VSOA said justice officials are giving the “wrong signal” to refugees.
VSOA chief Jan Schonkeren warned if the decision not to prosecute the asylum seeker becomes known among other rejected asylum seekers, the attack could become an example and similar incidents could follow.
