Penalty-payment Afghan held in secure reception centre

After the ruling by a court in Brussels to award the man the payment, he went to register as a refugee at the Aliens Office in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon.

During his registration it became clear that contrary to what he had initially claimed, he was not 17-years-old but in fact an adult. Furthermore he had already crossed several European countries, including Greece and Austria before arriving here.

He had been finger-printed in Germany and had spent time in asylum reception centres in Leipzig and Munich.

The Aliens Office has now asked its counterpart in Germany to take the man back. In order to prevent him from disappearing which a response from the Germans is awaited, it has been decided that he should be held in a secure asylum reception centre.