Belgium's reception crisis has been dragging on for more than two years. Amnesty International has exceptionally launched an international letter-writing campaign against the country to put pressure on it to solve the crisis.
Usually, the NGO's letter campaigns target issues abroad, such as freeing women activists in Afghanistan, stopping the criminalisation of the LGBTQ community in Russia or for the rights of people prosecuted unfairly abroad.
However, for its latest campaign, Amnesty is turning its focus to Belgium to put pressure on the government to solve the reception crisis.
The chronic shortage of sheltered places has resulted in thousands of asylum seekers sleeping rough rather than getting the shelter they are legally entitled to. The state has repeatedly ignored thousands of court rulings which have recognised its failure to provide shelter.
Situation getting worse
The NGO, which just several weeks ago published a public statement calling on Belgium to take the necessary measures against the self-inflicted reception crisis, is calling on people to send emails (it provides a model letter) to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor.
Banners during a protest against the government's handling of the reception crisis. One sign reads "shelter for all" while the other reads "This is not a crisis, it is a state crime." Credit: Belga
"Today more than 2,600 people, mostly single men, are waiting for shelter. This crisis has been dragging on for two years," said Eva Davidova, spokesperson for Amnesty International Flanders.
"Meanwhile, people have to resort to sleeping on the streets or in makeshift tents out of necessity, in deplorable conditions. With winter approaching, their situation will only get worse."
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It is exceptional for Amnesty International to target Belgium with a letter-writing campaign, a tool that the NGO says it only uses when urgent problems arise. The last time was in 2006 to stop the forced return of 12 Iranians. However, Davidova argued that there is a critical need for this action now, as the situation in Belgium is particularly serious.
The organisation was the last of many NGOs to point out that there are solutions, most notably the dispersal plan. This mechanism, enshrined in law, imposes on municipalities to create the necessary additional capacity when there are no more available reception places.
"Our government chooses not to provide asylum seekers with the shelter and basic services they are entitled to," Davidova argued."People reach Belgium hoping to find protection from conflict and persecution here. It is scandalous that they end up in situations that seriously affect their dignity and human rights. The government should not normalise this," she concluded.
