The so-called Schaerbeek squat at Rue des Palais 48, which mostly sheltered asylum seekers, is being completely evacuated on Tuesday and Wednesday, with its residents to be moved to a new shelter.
The evacuation of the squat began on Tuesday morning and the first busses have already left the site, transporting the asylum seekers to reception centres in Brussels. These centres are co-financed by the Federal Asylum and Migration Service.
"We are going to transfer these people to three other places of reception. We want to evacuate the place because it is becoming dangerous and unsanitary. The Region will support these people," explained a spokesperson for the cabinet of Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort.
The residents leaving in the buses are those who were registered during a screening in the squat and are the responsibility of the Brussels Region. They will first receive a medical check-up. The rest of the building's occupants are invited to leave voluntarily.
As hundreds of asylum seekers are on the street of Rue des Palais awaiting their bus, police have partially closed it.
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The evacuation of the squat will continue on Wednesday when police will be on hand to remove the remaining occupants who had not responded to calls to leave voluntarily. The building will then be locked down so that it will not be squatted in the future.
Ultimately, the Brussels Regional Housing Company plans to convert the building into housing for economically disadvantaged people. However, until the permits are approved, the Brussels Region plans to restore the building and create a temporary reception centre that meets sanitary, infrastructure and safety regulations.
