Asylum seekers shelter in Brussels squat

With Belgium’s asylum system under severe pressure, some 200 asylum-seekers are squatting in a large empty building in the centre of Brussels that was originally being renovated for Ukrainian refugees.
The current residents, mainly Burundi and Afghan nationals, maintain the building with the help from NGOs, which say Belgium is not complying with their legal obligations.
People who request asylum in Belgium are entitled to shelter but Fedasil, the agency responsible for this, has been struggling with a shortage of staff as well as a shortage of accommodation, leaving some – including women and children – to sleep in the street.
Squat resident and Burundi national Gauthier Kwizera, 28, said he was homeless for weeks after being told that Fedasil had no accommodation for him.