The squat on the Paleizenstraat in Schaarbeek (Brussels) where asylum seekers and homeless people had been staying has been completely cleared, but the intention of the Brussels government, to provide accommodation for all registered asylum seekers as the law requires, failed. Some of the asylum seekers were obliged to spend the night sleeping rough on the streets of the Belgian capital.
It's estimated that no accommodation was provided for around 150 asylum seekers. Many headed for the Klein Kasteeltje reception centre, where they joined other asylum seekers who have been camping out on the street for weeks. By last night the tent camp had swelled to over 50 tents often with 3 people to a tent. In between the tent others slept in only a blanket. “The problem has switched location but isn’t sorted” says VRT’s Marjan Temmerman.
The rough sleepers have received no information from the authorities about what will happen with them next. “Most possess a smartphone but no subscription. They visit the Red Cross aid post to connect to Wi-Fi and check whether they have received an invitation to go to a reception place. That could take up to 4 months. Meanwhile they had been promised accommodation and food” says Marjan Temmerman.
“In recent weeks accommodation has been provided for around 750 asylum seekers from the Paleizenstraat squat”.
The plan was to take the remaining registered asylum seekers to temporary accommodation in the Brussels region ahead of a regular place, but that clearly failed.
Asylum seekers in the squat had been given a blue wristband to distinguish them from other asylum seekers who attempted to join the queue and receive accommodation. There are stories of desperate people who sold their wristband.
Buses arriving at the squat on Tuesday to collect residents were stormed. Social workers and volunteers spoke of “total chaos and poor organisation”. Of the 300 people remaining Wednesday 156 were taken to a hotel in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw (Flemish Brabant).