In Belgium, at least 2,600 people seeking asylum are destitute due to the Belgian government’s failure to provide them with shelter and other essential goods and services. Many have no other choice than to sleep on the streets or in makeshift tents. With winter approaching, and temperatures , the federal government should immediately activate a ‘dispersal plan’ to provide adequate shelter to people seeking protection and comply with Belgium’s international human rights obligations.
take action:
- Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
- Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 113.23. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
contact information:
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
Wetstraat 16
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @alexanderdecroo
Belgian Embassy in the United States
His Excellency Jean Arthur Regibeau
1430 K Street NW, Suite 101, Washington, D.C. 20005, United States
Phone: (202) 333-6900
Email: [email protected]
sample letter:
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to express my concern about the Belgian government’s failure to provide shelter and other essential goods and services to people seeking asylum in Belgium, in violation of its international human rights obligations. As a result of this failure, at least 2,600 people are destitute. With winter here, and temperatures plummeting, I am increasingly concerned for the health, safety, and welfare of these people who are denied shelter.
The Belgian government has failed to provide a sufficient number of places for asylum seekers for more than two years, which has resulted in a reception crisis. Over this time, the government has been ordered more than 8,000 times by courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, to provide adequate shelter to asylum seekers. Yet the Belgian government refuses to comply with these rulings.
I urge you to take all necessary measures to end this reception crisis and the ongoing human rights violations of people seeking asylum in Belgium. This can be done by activating a dispersal plan, as introduced in Belgian law in 2015, which would result in additional reception capacity being provided across municipalities. If the dispersal plan is activated, it is essential that the federal government provides the necessary support to those local authorities that create additional reception places.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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