The Schaarbeek squat where hundreds of asylum seekers and homeless people took up residence is being cleared today Wednesday. Zeynep Balci, spokeswoman for Brussels PM Vervoort, has gone on the record to say that every inhabitant who voluntarily accompanies officials will be given a heated sleeping place tonight.
The operation consists of two parts: first registered asylum seekers willing to move out will leave. In a second stage people who the authorities say are not cooperating will be forced to leave.
Spokeswoman Balci blames the chaotic scenes of yesterday on erroneous information that had been banded about. As a result people not living in the squat turned up with the aim of getting a reception place. To prevent a repeat of yesterday people are being accompanied to buses in groups of 25. They then head for a temporary reception point and the medical screening.
Meanwhile asylum secretary De Moor has provided more information about the identity of the person who died in the building overnight. She has identified the man was an undocumented Moroccan national, known to the authorities because he was the subject of an entry ban, the result of drug related offences. She adds he wasn’t a registered asylum seeker, who qualified for accommodation and that he died of natural causes.
Yesterday’s medical screening of 250 people revealed 3 people suffering from TB, one suspected and a second confirmed case of throat diphtheria and seven cases of cutaneous (or skin) diphtheria. 46 cases of scabies were also detected.