"Find a solution for 800 to 1,000 refugees in Brussels tent camp, and fast"

The city of Brussels and the federal government are looking into other options than just the WTC3 Tower to accommodate refugees who are presently camping in the Maximiliaanpark near the Immigration Office. Their number has ballooned in recent weeks to an estimated 800 or 1,000. New accommodation offered by the federal government in the WTC3 Tower has not been a success so far; the different parties involved are trying to change the living conditions there.

The different political players involved (the federal government and the Brussels authorities) agree that the tent camp is not a sustainable option, considering the poor living conditions and the fact that autumn is coming up.

Contrary to suggestions made by Deputy Minister Alexander De Croo, the Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur wants a soft approach. A forced evacuation of the tent camp by deploying police is not an option for Mayeur, who wants to give refugees more time and look for new options first.

Mayeur met the PM Charles Michel a couple of times yesterday. It was decided that services offered in the WTC3 Tower (just around the corner) will have to be extended in order to make it a success for refugees. Last night, only between 20 and 30 refugees slept there.

But even then, the office block only boasts a maximum capacity of 550 beds (photo), while some 1,000 refugees (mainly people from Iraq, Syria and Eritrea waiting to file an asylum application) are camping in the park. Extra shelter places will have to be found.

What should change to make WTC3 a success?

Where the WTC Tower is concerned, the premises have to become more accessible, says Elodie Francart of the Civil Platform. "The building should become a place where people can actually live, and not just a dormitory which is only accessible between 6 and 9pm. In order to achieve this, the mandate of the Red Cross should be extended." 

"Once past 9pm, nobody is allowed to enter or leave the building. And people spending the night there, are kicked out in the morning without the possibility to leave their personal stuff there. So they go back to the camp", explains Francart. Another problem is the lack of showers, but there are talks of installing 10 shower places, and providing meals for those staying in the building. The Red Cross hopes that things can be sped up. "A solution has to be found, and fast."

This being said, the main aim is "a gradual and organised evacuation" of the tent camp at Maximilian Park.

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