In the midst of the European debate on the reform of the European migration system, the European capital is itself confronted with a glaring lack of reception places.
“Do people live there?“: in this basement on rue de Loi, in Brussels, in the heart of the European district, an abandoned building is occupied by around forty asylum seekers. “They take their shower, here: a room which is a sewer outlet“, explains Thomas, 26, a volunteer who helps asylum seekers in Belgium.
>> Asylum applications increased by almost 30% in the first half of 2023 in the European Union
Here, we do not hesitate to talk about a crisis. While Europeans are still divided on the migration issue, despite the sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers in the European Union, the country is torn by migratory pressure and the lack of reception places, which regularly cause one of the newspapers. The crisis is such that the government has decided to no longer accept single men in its reception centers to make room for families. A decision which provokes an outcry, against a backdrop of pre-electoral climate 9 months before the next national and European election.
This is the case of Amin, a 30-year-old Afghan. Eligible for asylum, he submitted his application five months ago, and as such should be housed by the Belgian state. But he has just spent several months on the street and in this squat: “It’s very hard without electricity, without water… I know that in 2016, a lot of migrants came to Europe. At that time there were places, but not anymore“, he notes. Alongside him, Issa, a Senegalese, came, also alone, to knock on the door of Europe.: “I chose Brussels because it is the capital of the European Union. And this is also where we respect human rights“.
“Five people per municipality”
2,200 single men, asylum seekers, are therefore on the streets in Brussels, the only Belgian city where they can submit their application. In the event of a crisis, a law provides for distributing them throughout the country. The government, although condemned by the courts for its inaction, does not want to take action, deplores Sotieta Ngo, general director of CIRÉ: “Today, if we spread the people who do not have reception over all the municipalities in Belgium, that would make five people per municipality. And no one sleeps on a sidewalk anymore!“
“We are already negotiating places with the municipalities“, replies the Secretary of State for Asylum, who refuses compulsory distribution. Nicole de Moor is relying on Europe to dry up and manage the flow of arrivals. “In 2019, we started with 21,000 reception places. Today, we have 35,000. But I want to be honest: just creating new reception centers will not solve the situation. If we do not have a profound reform at the European level, we will never be able to resolve the deep crisis in Belgium.”she pleaded, interviewed by Belgian public radio.
Belgium, which takes over the presidency of the European Union on January 1, intends to finalize an agreement of the 27 on the distribution of asylum seekers.