Brussels keeps illegality in place

The fact that the Brussels government is keeping the shelter for transmigrants at Porte d’Ulysse open longer (actually this is already the seventh time they are doing so), is a textbook example of bad governance. It is and remains the wrong choice to make illegality normal, say Brussels MPs Mathias Vanden Borre and Gilles Verstraeten.

Illegality over security

“At the start of 2020, the new regional security school Brusafe is due to get up and running at the Porte d’Ulysses location. It is a particularly bad idea to site a shelter for illegal migrants in the same location. It is a clear signal that this government puts illegality above security. This is a slap in the face for the security services who provide fantastic work in our city, but receive no respect or recognition for doing so,” Mathias Vanden Borre concludes.

Transmigrants without interest

To be perfectly clear, transmigrants who refuse to request asylum have little to no perspective of improving their situation. What’s more, these transmigrants have no interest whatsoever in remaining in our country and want to make the crossing to the United Kingdom as soon as possible.

An issue to be tackled urgently

“A budget of no less than 2.8 million euros is being provided for next year. And this while we know since last week that the issue around the homeless in Brussels has to be tackled urgently. That money can therefore be invested much more effectively in a structural approach for them. What’s more, the city of Brussels is refusing to say how much it is spending over and above that amount,” says Gilles Verstraeten.

If, on the other hand, the transmigrants do things according to the law and also request asylum, they receive assistance from the federal government (bed/bath/meals). If not, they can enter into a repatriation procedure. Staying here illegally is not an option, and the fact that the government is making that possible here beggars belief once again.