The Brussels civil court has upheld a ruling made by the Justice of the Peace in August 2023, allowing 66 asylum seekers who had occupied a building on Rue de la Loi to send energy bills to the Belgian Government.
The government and Fedasil, the federal agency responsible for hosting asylum seekers, had appealed the initial ruling. The recent appeal decision, which Belga reviewed on Friday, confirms that the Belgian Government and Fedasil were at fault for failing to accommodate the building’s occupants, forcing them to occupy the site.
"The costs related to the occupation of the property (water and electricity), cleaning and evacuation costs, and expenses related to their expulsion […] are all causally linked to the fault of the Belgian government and Fedasil," The second judge stated.
Between April and October 2023, 66 asylum seekers occupied the building adjacent to the former CD&V headquarters on Rue de la Loi in Brussels. Despite the Belgian Government’s legal obligation, these asylum seekers could not secure places in reception centres.
The building’s owner subsequently evicted the asylum seekers and demanded payment for water and electricity bills.
Assisted by lawyers, the asylum seekers initiated a legal procedure before the Brussels Justice of the Peace to request that these bills be sent to the Belgian government, ultimately succeeding in their case.
