The Belgian State has been repeatedly fined for its failure to provide shelter to asylum seekers. But with the total amount imposed by courts rising, Government property is now being removed by bailiffs to compensate the outstanding fines.
Belgium's migrant reception crisis is still far from finding a resolution and since the pandemic passed has grown progressively worse. Belgian legislation dictates that asylum seekers are entitled to shelter whilst their applications are processed. However, thousands of people seeking international protection in Belgium have been sleeping rough due to the lack of places in the Fedasil network.
"The Belgian State has already been condemned more than 9,000 times by the labour court because of this situation," Marie Doutrepont, a lawyer at Progressive Lawyers Network representing asylum seekers, told The Brussels Times. However, little heed has been paid to the penalties and the court fines to the State remain outstanding.
'Unprecedented and very disturbing'
At the start of last year, a bailiff seized furniture from Fedasil and the office of State Secretary for Migration, Nicole de Moor. Her cabinet contested the seizure via a judge, but the latter ruled that it was not illegal to remove the furniture so long as the Belgian State refused to pay the fines.
Furniture seized from Fedasil was bought by civil society organisations in March last year and given to asylum seekers. Credit: Belga
Items not considered "manifestly necessary for the continuity of the administration" will be removed from de Moor's cabinet and sold online on Friday. This is the first time during the reception crisis that furniture from a ministerial cabinet has been confiscated and sold publicly.
"That the government so stubbornly disregards the rule of law principle, choosing to have furniture from a ministerial cabinet confiscated instead of complying with a court decision, is unprecedented and very disturbing," Doutrepont said. "Meanwhile, asylum seekers continue to shiver on the icy Brussels streets."
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An already dire situation due to what has been called Belgium's "inhumane" policy has become worse in recent days, as temperatures have remained below 0°C for several days.
Those not immediately provided shelter in the reception network are put on the waiting list, which is around 2,700 people long. Federal Government proposals to resolve the issue are not yet reducing the numbers, leaving many in metro stations or on the streets, including women and families with children.
