Catholic church home to Afghan asylum seekers

Published February 27, 2014
Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and Primate of Belgium Andre-Joseph Leonard (R) meets Afghan asylum seekers at the abbey of Affligem during their march from Brussels to Ghent, to protest against Belgium's refusal to grant them residency papers.
Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and Primate of Belgium Andre-Joseph Leonard (R) meets Afghan asylum seekers at the abbey of Affligem during their march from Brussels to Ghent, to protest against Belgium's refusal to grant them residency papers.

Afghan asylum seekers have been occupying a Catholic church in central Brussels to urge authorities to allow them to stay in Belgium. The group of mainly Muslim families, whose first request to stay in the country was rejected, has been eating, sleeping and teaching their children in the church for more than three months. The priest of the church said he opened the doors to the refugees because he disagreed with Belgium's current asylum policy. — Photos and text by Reuters.

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