Anderlecht (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): In Anderlecht, Mayor Fabrice Cumps criticized the hidden presence of 180 asylum seekers at Hotel Aviation. Fedasil said they were needed due to high demand, with 3,900 waiting for asylum in Belgium. The center will close by the end of September.
There was a big problem with Hotel Aviation in Anderlecht when it was discovered that about 180 asylum seekers were living there without informing the local authorities or the Brussels government. The mayor, Fabrice Cumps, was very upset and called it “criminal” and “a real scandal.” He mentioned that Anderlecht already had three centers for asylum seekers, and this situation was adding more pressure on the city’s resources, especially in the vulnerable Zuidwijk area. Cumps was frustrated that there was no consultation or oversight, especially since the police only learned about it after something happened at the hotel.
How will Anderlecht address the crisis of 180 asylum seekers at Hotel Aviation?
Fedasil, the agency responsible for asylum reception, said they had to use Hotel Aviation because there were a lot of asylum requests in May 2024 and they didn’t have enough space. They pointed out that the Brussels government hadn’t included this hotel in their earlier plans. Fedasil also mentioned that only one reception center in Anderlecht was run by them, while the other two were managed by a homeless organization called Samusocial. Despite this explanation, the mayor’s reaction showed that there is still some disagreement between local and federal governments about how to handle asylum seekers.
Political pressure has decided to close the center by the end of September. Mayor Cumps talked to the hotel manager near Brussels-Midi station and agreed it wasn’t a good place for the center, especially since the hotel has bad reviews about bedbugs and dirty rooms. About 30 women and children are staying there, and they’re not causing any trouble. Cumps wants to spread asylum seekers around Belgium instead of keeping them all in Brussels, but State Secretary Nicole de Moor thinks that could overload local services. While Cumps is happy the center will close, he believes more needs to be done since some services are bringing homeless people to the area. Currently, 3,900 people are waiting for asylum in Belgium, and courts say the country isn’t following international laws by not helping them properly.
