He is so busy in the Belgian shelter that the available places are being distributed among vulnerable people for the first time since May this year. As a result, since October not only men, but sometimes even families and minors have been sleeping on the street.
Médecins Sans Frontières therefore decided to assist at the registration center in Brussels. There, employees have so far carried out 550 medical and 50 psychological consultations. “These have highlighted some worrying mental and public health issues among people seeking international protection in Belgium,” the organization said.
For example, he saw that infectious diseases, including diphtheria and scabies, were circulating among asylum seekers. Asylum seekers also deteriorate psychologically.
“The people we see in the clinic often tell us about recent violence, the harshness of life on the street and the lack of perspectives. These traumas add to pre-existing traumas, which aggravates the situation and people’s vulnerability”, says Thomas Pelseneer, MSF responsible for mental health projects.
Belgian aid organizations accuse the Belgian government of not doing enough. That is why MSF says it has “no choice” but to “continue its efforts to remedy the government’s shortcomings”.
Belgium is grappling with a solution
In response to similar criticisms, the Belgian government points out that behind-the-scenes work is being done to fix the problem. For example, this year the number of care places has grown by 5,000 to nearly 32,000.
However, this is not enough to accommodate the number of asylum seekers. Another major problem is that the organization that organizes the reception of asylum seekers, Fedasil, does not have enough staff to process the applications or supply the reception places with employees. Defense personnel have therefore already intervened to help.
Last week, the Belgian Groen party called for a distribution law, now in the Netherlands similar invoice it is on the table. This means that the reception of asylum seekers must be distributed among the various municipalities.
Secretary of State Nicole de Moor (Asylum and Migration) sees nothing in such a proposal. “I think it’s inappropriate for the federal government to outsource its tasks to cities and municipalities,” he says The morning. “Giving local authorities trouble is not a solution.”
De Moor sees a solution in limiting the number of people seeking asylum and large-scale emergency shelters, he says The latest news. “We’re not going to solve it with fifty seats here and fifty seats there.”
