Hundreds of undocumented immigrants in Brussels ended their hunger strike after 60 days and gave up the requirement to collectively formalize their identities.
A representative of the organization announced on Wednesday that people camping at the Church of St John the Baptist in the Béguinage in central Brussels have ended their refusal to eat.
The people who gathered outside the church to support the hunger strikers applauded the announcement. According to local media reports, another group in a university building also suspended the strike. According to participating non-governmental organizations, a total of 476 people went on hunger strike.
The Belgian government stated that the hunger strikers were immediately taken to the hospital, and some of them remained in the intensive care unit.
After recovery, they can move to the “neutral zone” and apply for a residence permit separately. The government rejected a collective amnesty, saying that the current rules are fair and humane.
Sammy Mahdi, Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration Affairs of Belgium Tweet He breathed a sigh of relief. “For me, this is not a fight against people, but for the right policy. We hope that no one will suffer lasting harm.”
In an interview with RTBF, the French-speaking public broadcaster of Belgium, he stated that the government has not changed its policies. “There is a policy that must follow the rules. We have explained this many times and we have discussed it with civil society. Our procedures are fair, correct and humane.”
Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexandre De Crowe, Welcomed the decision and added that “the government can never accept blackmail. It will be unfair to those who follow the rules correctly.”
As a result, tensions were eased in the Belgian seven-party coalition government, which was divided because of the plight of the hunger strikers.Minister of socialism and green Threatened to go out If one of the strikers dies, overthrow the 10-month government.
Approximately 150,000 undocumented immigrants, known as Illegal immigrantAccording to the campaign group, some of them have lived in Belgium for many years. Many people worry that trying to normalize their identities will result in an order to leave.
