Several hundred tents making up a camp set up by asylum seekers in Parc Maximilien, near the Immigration Office in Brussels, are in the news worldwide. German and Spanish dailies Die Welt and El Pais published a translated version of a Le Soir article and conclude: “This camp appeared as a result of the failure of the centre-right government.”
“Although it is true that Belgium did not close its borders, it is still trying to slow down migration of refugees in its own way. In Belgium, asylum seekers must report to the Immigration Office; there is only one window for the whole country, located on the ground floor of an administrative building in the high-rise district of Brussels,” reveals Die Welt.
“A refugee camp filled with people hoping for a fresh start has surfaced in the European capital Brussels, where ordinary individuals are trying to compensate for the lack of help and support from the mostly absent Belgian authorities,” points out European news website Euractiv.
The Wall Street Journal already mentioned the refugee situation in Parc Maximilien early this month, publishing accounts by Syrians and Afghans living there.
“I am not blameless when I do nothing,” writes the European antenna of American publisher Politico, repeating the words of local volunteer. “Something must be done. We cannot expect the issue to solve itself and pretend we did not know what was happening.”
(Source: Belga)
