Some of the rejected asylum seekers who went on hunger strike in Brussels two months ago have suspended their action. This is confirmed by the Flemish State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Mahdi. The hunger strikers hoped to force permanent residence in Belgium with the strike.
According to the Flemish newspaper The standard the activists agree to negotiations with the Belgian government. The group of illegal immigrants is said to plan to resume the hunger strike if the conversation fails.
Some 400 asylum seekers in the Beguinage Church and in buildings of the Brussels universities VUB and ULB have refused to eat since the end of May. Last Friday, some of them also stopped drinking and threatened to die. Several hunger and thirst strikers were taken to hospital.
According to Flemish media, the actions in the Begijnhofkerk and the ULB have been suspended for the time being. It is not clear whether the hunger strikers at the VUB will also stop. Secretary of State Mahdi writes on Twitter that he is relieved: “For me this was not a fight against people, but for a correct policy. Hopefully no one will be left with permanent injuries.”
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