Around 60 people including young children were evicted from a building in Uccle on Wednesday.
The former nursing home became a squat in April and was occupied by members of the Undocumented Domestic Workers League (Ligue des travailleuses domestiques sans papiers) until this week. 23 women, four children and around 20 men were evicted on Wednesday.
"The eviction was carried out brutally and one-sidedly, without observing the legal deadline, after the occupants, the owner and the region failed to reach an agreement," non-profit organisation ADES Network stated.
The municipality of Uccle told Belga News Agency that the eviction was the result of a legal decision pursued by the property owner. The commune acknowledged the "dire human situation" and said it was looking for rehousing solutions via CPAS, the unemployment and social services offices.
'Duty of care'
Not everyone has been provided with accommodation. "Only some people were rehoused in temporary, precarious accommodation this evening," according to ADES.
Belgium's reception crisis has added to an already dismal homelessness problem in the capital city. As of August, there were 3,900 individuals on the waiting list for seeking asylum – a situation that violates international law.
While asylum seekers living in centres are entitled to work, those still on the waiting list do not have an official address and are therefore prohibited from seeking employment.
'Your clean toilets, our own papers!' A League protest in 2021 calling for more rights for undocumented women. Credit: Belga/Merlin Brohez
Nevertheless, "tomorrow morning undocumented domestic workers will go back to work providing unrecognised care," said ADES on Wednesday. "Yet another eviction is the symptom of a lack of political will to respond to the duty of care."
The 'Ligue des travailleuses domestiques sans papiers' campaigns for legal access to work for undocumented people. "We want our work to be recognised and regularised so that everyone is happy with their job," a member told BX1 in June. This consists in legal protection when filing a complaint against an employer, legal access to the labour market and access to training opportunities.
