About 300 people demonstrated on Friday morning against the announced expulsion of an out-of-school childcare worker from the Little School of Gentinnes, in the Walloon Brabant entity of Chastre.
The gathering was organized at the Kongolo memorial, close to the free basic school where the host joined the extracurricular team in 2018 and where, last January, she signed a permanent employment contract.
Of Congolese origin, Divine N’Sunda arrived in Belgium in 2012. “Despite her perfect integration into social, educational and professional life in the municipality of Chastre, where she resides, a second request for regularization was refused by the Belgian authorities”, explained Dimitri Crickillon, director of the Chastrois school establishment, on Friday to the Belga agency.
Since January 31, the young host has been imprisoned in the detention center for illegal immigrants in Holsbeek (CIH), in Flemish Brabant.
“His lawyer has submitted a request for release, but we fear a deportation decision”adds Dimitri Crikillon. “For the educational community, for the children and for the parents, it is a shock, misunderstanding and injustice”concludes the director.
Jean, a young student from the small school in Gentinnes, also testified: “It’s not super nice because he’s someone important to a lot of people.” “I would like her to come back to make some students smile again”concluded Elisa, a young student.