Around 40 undocumented individuals, including families with children, claim they were evicted on Monday evening from an unused former care home in Ganshoren, just days after beginning their occupation of the building.
The action was organised by the Voix des Sans Papiers (VSP) collective, in coordination with the Adès Network, to highlight the lack of accessible housing for undocumented people in Brussels.
Camille, a member of the Adès Network, stated, “the federal police intervened to evict everyone, despite an established de facto residence. This makes it an illegal eviction ordered by the mayor of Ganshoren. People, including families and children, are now on the street.”
When contacted by Belga, the involved mayor, Jean-Paul Van Laethem, described the situation as “a judicial matter related to forced entry into a private building” and declined to comment further, although he confirmed ongoing communication with the police.
The occupation began in the vacant Granvelle residence on Avenue Marie de Hongrie. Earlier that day, the collective issued a statement expressing their support for the occupation because “public authorities were not taking any real action.”
This initiative was part of a series of efforts aimed at raising awareness of the living conditions faced by undocumented individuals. The collective criticises a “vicious circle” where exclusion from housing rights hinders prospects for regularisation or socio-professional integration.
