Campaign sounds alarm about homeless children in Brussels
“Last night, a baby slept here.” That is the message on eye-catching stickers that have sprung up all over Brussels’ benches and street furniture, such as fences and lamp posts, in the past few weeks. The eye-catching orange diamond-shaped stickers,
“Last night, a baby slept here.” That is the message on eye-catching stickers that have sprung up all over Brussels’ benches and street furniture, such as fences and lamp posts, in the past few weeks.
The eye-catching orange diamond-shaped stickers, inspired by the "baby on board" car signs, draw attention to the plight of homeless children and of homelessness in general in the capital.
The action was led by some 20 activists from the ADES migrant solidarity network. This organisation headquartered in Saint-Josse brings together people “convinced of the urgent need to radically transform society towards greater social and ecological justice”.
With the aim to “reject all forms of exploitation and domination,” in this case, the group wanted to highlight the right to housing and to demand solutions for homeless families.
“The aim of this action is to once again sound the alarm. For several months now, dozens of children have been sleeping rough every day because the emergency accommodation network in Brussels does not have enough places,” the group said.
“Families with young children, even babies, and unaccompanied minors are joining the thousands of single men who have been sleeping rough for several years.”
The ADES network points out that, given the lack of action by Brussels authorities, residents in solidarity with the homeless are stepping in to “meet the most pressing needs”, such as preparing and distributing meals, collecting money to pay for hotel rooms, opening up empty buildings for people to sleep in, and distributing sleeping bags and tents.
The group emphasises that not enough is being done. “The overwhelming responsibility for the situation lies with both the federal government, which has an obligation to provide shelter for asylum seekers, and the Brussels government, which is responsible for emergency accommodation,” it added.
The homelessness situation, linked to the asylum seekers’ crisis, is all the more urgent because “as winter approaches, the situation will only get worse,” the network warned.
According to the organisation that coordinates emergency aid and integration measures for homeless people in the Brussels region, Bruss’Help, about 600 shelters are available for homeless families, but this is not enough.
The pressure on the reception network is increasing. Last year, 270 families asked for shelter. This year, the humanitarian centre has received 500 requests from families looking for a safe place to sleep.
Photo: Jonas Roossens/Belga
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