{"id":3743,"date":"2021-11-21T20:16:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-21T19:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=3743"},"modified":"2021-12-05T16:03:23","modified_gmt":"2021-12-05T15:03:23","slug":"eleven-months-of-protest-in-brussels-and-two-months-of-hunger-strike-whats-the-story-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/3743\/eleven-months-of-protest-in-brussels-and-two-months-of-hunger-strike-whats-the-story-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven months of protest in Brussels and two months of hunger strike. What\u2019s the story?"},"content":{"rendered":"
In an ancient church, about 300 years old, in downtown Brussels, you can\u2019t find the usual rows of praying seats. Inside the St. John the Baptist church, you will find sheets hanging between pillars and walls made from cardboard. Behind these hangings sheets, you will find several improvised beds with some self-made curtain systems to give each bed some privacy to make the stay as comfortable as possible for every guest.<\/span><\/p>\n Of the 450 undocumented migrants now residing at 3 spots in Brussels, 100 of them are staying at the church, some have called this place home for already 11 months now. Those 11 months include 2 months of hunger strike which caused the Belgian government to review each individual case again. \u201cThis was not intended to pressure or blackmail the government, but purely because we saw no other way out\u201d, says Mohamed, one of the Moroccan occupants.<\/span> After months of waiting with high hopes, the first cases are now being denied again. Which leads the occupants to despair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a small, improvised living room underneath a Mary statue, tea is being poured. Mohamed asks if we would like to eat some chicken too while handing out forks. Mohamed is a young Moroccan who came to Belgium 11 years ago after completing his high school exams in Morocco. \u201cI\u2019ve always had family in Belgium. When I used to see them during the summer vacations, they always told me about the state of rights in Belgium and the opportunities they had in Belgium. I wanted that too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n Mohamed and Nezha sharing lunch\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n After coming to Belgium Mohamed tried completing his university studies but unfortunately failed twice. \u201cIn Belgium, if you fail twice, you can\u2019t re-study again. But you know, in 10 years, especially as a foreigner, many unexpected things can happen that can make us fail our studies. After failing my studies, I lost my residence permit and as an immigrant, that\u2019s the end.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are people who had apartments, work, friends, and family. We were fully integrated into society.\u201d Says Nezha, who just sat down next to Mohamed to share lunch with him. \u201cTake a good look at her. She\u2019s our mother! Together with Sabah, she is very important for us.\u201d says Mohamed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are not homeless or refugees, most of us have been brought to work, we are an added value to this country, but the government refuses to recognize us nonetheless.” With a painful look Nezha shows the paperwork she is owning. \u201cI am very desperate, I have all the necessary paperwork to obtain a residence permit, but the government has also rejected me\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Nezha showing her paperwork<\/p><\/div>\n Together with Sabah, Nezha is one of the only women right now staying in the church. Sabah, a Moroccan occupant from Casablanca, has been staying in the church since the start of the occupancy. Throughout those months she had the responsibility of night-guard. Ensuring that no unwanted visitors enter the church at night. \u201cAn important and valuable task\u201d, she says while showing all the blankets she uses at night to keep her warm. \u201cHowever, we had to take over from her and force her to take some rest. She only slept four hours a night for months.\u201d interrupts a neighbor of Sabah.<\/span><\/p>\n Sabah showing her blankets<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cMomen\u201d a Moroccan elderly man, who came to Belgium 32 years ago for work, confirmed that he had worked for a while on temporary papers, had a home and paid rent and bills, and suddenly was abandoned and could not return home after all those years to change working conditions (such as changing jobs) and the Government did not give him any identification papers that would give him his rights like everyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n C\u00e9cile de Blic, a French woman that volunteers in the church, is visiting the occupants several times a week to see how they are doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to C\u00e9cile, there are 450 protesters at 3 different places in Brussels. One of which is the Church of John the Baptist, which was chosen by the protesters because it is no longer a church where rituals have been held for two years. The monk in charge, the 77-year-old Daniel Allitt,\u00a0 is helping the needy occupants by taking an active social role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere were several economic agreements between Belgium and Morocco a long time ago, after which Moroccan workers were brought to Belgium.\u201d Says C\u00e9cile. \u201cBut unfortunately when their work is done, they are not granted any rights. Like Momen for example, they were simply seen as a threat.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/simon-ruisch\/cecile-de-blic_2<\/a><\/p>\n “I am a French citizen and I moved to Belgium 12 years ago. Because I am white and carrying a French passport, I have not had any problem and I have not felt any difference all that time, but immigrants of other nationalities such as these protesters suffer daily because of their nationalities and the way Belgium sees them.”<\/span><\/p>\n