The humanitarian organisations had to set up tents and distribute sleeping bags and blankets to unaccompanied foreign minors outside the Humanitarian Hub on Wednesday evening, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in a statement.
The tents were erected by MSF, the Brussels Refugee Council, Medecins du Monde, Plateforme Citoyenne, Samusocial and Cire.
The federal government held a core meeting at noon on Wednesday, but the humanitarian organisations deemed it inconclusive. “No solution has been found with immediate effect, and the proposed long-term solutions are vague,” said Cire’s Soti Ngo.
“Space will be made for about 25 cardboard tents this Wednesday evening. This is not sustainable, but we have no other alternatives for tonight,” said Michel Genet, director of Médecins du Monde. “We understand the concern of Mayor Close, but we hope the tents will not be dismantled by the police, as was the case this morning. To ensure this, staff and volunteers of the organisations concerned will remain on site.”
On Monday morning, the Brussels police removed the cardboard tents under which young asylum seekers had been sleeping since Monday, on the orders of the mayor Philippe Close. The tents had been set up by the Samusocial humanitarian service outside the Humanitarian Hub located on Avenue du Port, in order to shelter people unable to obtain places in Fedasil’s reception centres for asylum seekers.
The Fedasil reception network is under great pressure, and for several days, many unaccompanied minors have been unable to find places in reception centres.
