- guardian.co.uk, Friday December 29 2000 01.25 GMT
Activists of Operation Jesus 2000 claimed responsibility for the stunt.
"How would Jesus, fleeing persecution in his homeland, have been received in Belgium in 2000?" the group asked on its website. The empty mangers were its answer.
"These peaceful 'kidnappings' are the work of citizens ... who want to alert public opinion to the reception in Belgium of refugees," it said.
Worried Belgians were told they could contact an email address for news of the missing Jesuses. "Thank you for your understanding," the group said, "and our apologies for any inconvenience."
The public response was limited, but one person asked: "Are there members of the Front for the Liberation of Garden Gnomes in your group?"
Last weekend Belgium reintroduced controls on its borders with other Schengen agreement (open borders) countries to prevent an influx of foreigners before it scraps direct cash payments to asylum seekers while their applications are considered.
The authorities say that the number entering the country illegally has become unmanageable, and wants EU-wide policies for sharing the burden. Extremist groups such as the Flanders-based Vlaams Blok have turned immigration into a hot political issue.
In October the government said it had received about 40,000 applications from illegal immigrants for residency status under a special programme, up 60% on the previous year.
Nearly 250,000 people applied for asylum in the EU last year. Most are eventually rejected because governments say they are seeking better economic conditions, not fleeing political persecution.
