The evacuation of a long-term campsite on Boulevard Pacheco in Brussels on 30 October displaced around 30 people, whose whereabouts are now unknown. There has been little to no effort to keep track of these individuals since then.
The registration point for new asylum seekers has been located at 44 Boulevard Pacheco since 2022. A number of people waiting to hear about their application and those whose applications have been rejected set up camp nearby for ease of access (queues are often long and competitive).
However, the Immigration Office (IBZ) announced that it was moving the registration office to Rue Belliard in late October, as KU Leuven had purchased the Pacheco property with the intention of building a new university campus. On 30 October, around 30 people had their tents and belongings taken and thrown away by the police and were evacuated from the area.
These men were not advised on where they should go next. Non-profit organisations working with this group say the incident is "just another cycle" of the asylum waiting game.
Almost two months on, the site has been blockaded. Non-profits and government agencies have a dim idea about where some of the displaced group has gone, but the community that had built up at Pacheco is dispersed and difficult to trace.
The metal screen and red barrier were erected following the evacuation. Credit: The Brussels Times
'He is lost'
The Brussels Times spoke to one man who slept at Pacheco before the evacuation. Mohammed is from Sudan and arrived in Belgium in 2018. His asylum application was rejected and he has been sleeping outside the Humanitarian Hub on the canal since 30 October.
Throughout the conversation, Mohammed was distressed and only wanted to talk about getting his passport back and finding a way to return to Sudan.
Nadhem Najam, a volunteer with Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, noted that Mohammed's mental state had deteriorated significantly since the last time he saw him. "He is lost," Najam said. "He has been moved around the country and just wants to go home now. He doesn't know what to do."
Sleeping arrangements around the Humanitarian Hub. Credit: The Brussels Times
Who is responsible?
The Brussels Times contacted the City of Brussels municipality to ask whether any attempt had been made to stay in touch with the evacuated individuals. The commune replied that this fell under federal reception agency Fedasil's remit.
A Fedasil spokesperson responded that "prior to [the evacuation], Fedasil had organised regular operations on this site to meet migrants and still occasionally passes near Pacheco. According to my colleagues, some of the occupants are now in a private car park not far from there."
"Not all these people are asylum seekers who should be in Fedasil centres," the spokesperson continued. "There are also undocumented people and people whose asylum applications have been rejected."
The cabinet of outgoing State Secretary for Migration and Asylum Nicole De Moor (CD&V) denied responsibility and local police declined to comment.
KU Leuven acknowledged the evacuation, but did not offer up any information about what had happened to the displaced people.
New site 'not the right place'
IBZ registration offices moved to 68 Rue Belliard, a busy street in the European Quarter. Volunteers have criticised it for being an inappropriate location for displaced people and the charity initiatives at their disposal.
"People don't feel safe there. It's too crowded," said Najam. "It is the main road to Zaventem Airport and cars are constantly passing by. There is also a bike lane and I always want to tell people to be careful."
The registration office is the first point of contact for people registering to claim asylum in Belgium. "It's not the right place for newcomers to register for the first time. Some of them come with a lot of luggage and there is nowhere for them to put it."
Nadhem Najam, volunteer at the Legal Helpdesk. Credit: The Brussels Times
Non-profit Friendship Without Borders told Belga News Agency that "the breakfast we offer every Friday is going to become very complicated. But we will continue."
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.
