Civil society organisation Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen (Refugee Work Flanders) has called on undecided people to consider the human impact of their vote ahead of today's elections in Belgium, especially when it comes to how asylum seekers and migrants may be treated in the future.
People in Belgium are heading to polling stations to vote in the regional, federal and European elections. In Flanders, the most recent polls predict the two Flemish nationalist parties are the only runners in the race. In particular, far-right Vlaams Belang (27.2%), known for its anti-immigration stance, is leading by nearly ten percentage points.
"Recent polls predict exceptionally high scores for the far right, a party known for its radical views on people on the run," Tine Claus, the NGO's director, said. Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen stressed that the party made it clear its intention to "bully away" asylum seekers if they come to power. "They actively nurture a climate of hatred against anyone who is different."
Meanwhile, to keep or win over voters lost to extreme parties, several parties have moved more to the right, including the Flemish socialist Vooruit party, driven by tougher stances on migration.
Misleading voters
In a recent conversation with The Brussels Times, the NGO's policy officer Thomas Willekens stressed that politicians have historically used migration as a pawn in political games to win votes, scaring voters with deceiving figures about "unprecedented influxes", and vowing to keep them out with a series of measures.
For example, Vlaams Belang politicians have in the past argued for a migration freeze in Belgium, even though rules on asylum and migration are largely laid down at the European level. "Politicians often mislead voters with incorrect information about curbing migration while misrepresenting reality," said Willekens.
Asylum seekers waiting in a queue to apply for asylum. Credit: Belga/ Eric Lalmand
Dutch sociologist Hein De Haas in his book 'How Migration Really Works' stressed that it is an illusion to think people can be stopped if war breaks out in or outside Europe. "That has never succeeded. If you start patrolling Lampedusa more strongly now, fewer people will cross the Mediterranean there, but the route will shift. And it is impossible to build a wall around the whole of Europe."
The NGO therefore calls on voters not to go along with simplistic solutions, but instead to "bear in mind the rights and future of these people".
Impact of vote
Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen is urging people who have made up their minds to vote for parties with anti-immigration policies and undecided voters to understand the impact of a vote for the far right on many families in Flanders and Belgium.
"We want to remind everyone that a vote is more than a ball of colour. It is about people who may or may not have a chance for a dignified life," Claus said. "No one chooses to become a refugee, but we can decide how to respond. On Sunday, choose real solutions, and choose solidarity."
To get this message across, it has shared a video of a 12-year-old boy speaking directly to viewers with an emotional appeal for Father's Day (celebrated in Belgium on 9 June). He says the only real gift he can give his father is being welcomed in Belgium by people living here. "I can't give him a gift like that. You can." The video ends with a clear on-screen appeal: "Help him get a gift for Father's Day. On Sunday, choose a party that will grant them a future."
