Around 150 secondary school students from 12 schools across the country landed in Krakow, Poland, on Thursday morning to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp.
The annual memorial trip is organised by the War Heritage Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence.
The students, both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking, travelled from the military airport in Melsbroek aboard a Defence aircraft, accompanied by Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) and his daughter.
Francken's presence has become customary during the 20 years this trip has been organised.
The visit includes a guided tour of Auschwitz in the morning and Birkenau in the afternoon, followed by a commemoration ceremony.
Before departure, Francken emphasised the significance of the trip amidst growing geopolitical tensions, wars, and conflicts.
"It is crucial to remember that peace is our most valuable asset and that war is the worst that can happen to us," he said.
"Europe has achieved incredible things but has also endured very dark moments we cannot ignore, especially now that antisemitism is on the rise. It is important to reflect on where hatred of Jews once led us," Francken said.
Holocaust survivor Simon Gronowski, who has accompanied students in the past, had to cancel this year’s trip due to health reasons.
Over 1.1 million people, including nearly 1 million Jews, were murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp complex.
