Refugees sleeping rough outside the former asylum registration centre were again displaced on Wednesday 30 October. Activists say the incident is "just another cycle" of the asylum waiting game.
The number of people applying for asylum is constantly increasing, with 3,686 applications in September (up by 10.5% since August). A deep reception crisis means that there are just under 3,000 people (mostly single men) currently on the waiting list to become recognised international protection (IP) applicants.
These individuals often end up sleeping on the street. Since 2022, dozens of them have set up camp around the Immigration Office's (IBZ) registration centre at 44 Boulevard Pacheco by Botanique in the city centre.
The site, formerly owned by Belfius, has been acquired by KU Leuven and construction will soon begin to transform the property into a 21,000 m2 university campus. The IBZ therefore moved its registration point to 68 Rue Belliard last week.
IBZ entrance on Boulevard Pacheco (Left) and the former campsite nearby (Right). Credit: The Brussels Times
On Wednesday 30 October, Brussels police evacuated the people sleeping nearby. Their tents and mattresses were collected and thrown away. Non-profit organisations the Anti-Expulsion Front and Ades Network say there was no adequate warning ahead of the evacuation. The refugees were also not advised on where they should go next.
"There was nobody to redirect people or even to give them the new address," Cass* from Ades told The Brussels Times. "Pacheco was an indecent life for these people but it was all that they had. This is just another cycle as they wait for an answer [about their asylum claim]."
'There is no space for us'
Brandy* (32) arrived in Brussels one month ago and is homeless while he waits to claim asylum. He was not present at the Pacheco evacuation but several of his friends were. He does not know where they have moved to.
"There were several people sleeping there but the police came and sent them away," he told The Brussels Times. "We have to sleep outside because there is no space for us."
Brandy says that he sleeps behind Brussels-North Station most nights and feels that he receives no official support at all. Who is responsible for these individuals who are not Belgian citizens but have not been able to apply for asylum as is their legal right?
Related News
- 'Inhumane' displacement to an 'unsuitable' site: Refugees evacuated from Pacheco
- 'No housing solution': When a squat closes down, where do its inhabitants go?
- Council of Europe again condemns Belgium's 'clear refusal' to comply with the law
The Brussels Times contacted State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole De Moor (CD&V) to ask what support systems were in place for the group of men, now forbidden from sleeping at Pacheco.
De Moor's cabinet responded that asylum is suspended for single men with the aim of preserving space for women, children and families. It added that there were emergency spaces available for homeless people in Brussels and said its focus was on reducing the influx of migrants to Belgium via the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
The suspension of the right to asylum for single men is illegal. There are over 8,000 Belgian and European court rulings condemning Belgium for its failure to welcome IP applicants, and the Council of Europe repeated its condemnation of the State's "clear refusal" to respect international law in September.
'Sweep this under the rug'
In the absence of state support, voluntary groups continue to advocate for these marginalised people.
"Evictions try to make these people invisible, because if you split them up from each other they are too busy trying to survive to make any noise. [Politicians] want to sweep this under the rug but we are applying pressure in the hopes that these people will receive the housing they have a right to," said Cass.
City of Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (PS) did not respond when contacted for comment.
The Immigration Office's temporary registration centre on Rue Belliard. Credit: The Brussels Times
The new registration centre on Rue Belliard has been criticised for the lack of space it provides to the people on the asylum waiting list. Non-profit Friendship Without Borders told Belga News Agency it will become "very complicated" to provide services such as a weekly hot meal, partly due to the narrow street and busy traffic.
De Moor's cabinet says the site is "the only option available". The office is expected to move again in around a year and a half.
*Names were changed to respect privacy.
