Four Algerian immigrants on Thursday began a third day protesting atop a crane in Brussels, in a high-level campaign near to the municipal immigration office.
Two of the men are seeking residency rights while the third, who has already been granted the right to stay, wants to become a naturalised Belgian.
A fourth protester came down from the crane on Wednesday with medical problems but may have returned as four figures were clearly visible on the crane on Thursday morning.
The protest action began on Tuesday when the men climbed up the crane situated on a building site near the city’s immigration office, dealing with claims from migrants.
Forty-eight hours of negotiation by Belgian authorities failed to persuade the men to come down.
Police began fresh talks with the protesters on Thursday but with no immediate result.
Three of the Algerians climbed down to talk to officers but soon returned to their perch.
Two weeks ago, about 50 illegal immigrants, including women and children, occupied a building of the Free University of Brussels to claim regularisation.
So far, Interior Minister Patrick Dewael has refused any mass immigration amnesty but the new government of Prime Minister Yves Leterme has decided to introduce a new ”economic immigration” plan that could allow illegal immigrants with steady work to stay on. — AFP
