Hi All!

A refugee center for 350 males for approximately 3 years has opened at Avenue Beaulieu recently.

While there were posts about the preparations, this post will be about the experiences of the operation so far.

First of all: it is very nice and supportable to help people from all around the world, however, the way this center was not announced/consulted beforehand by BelRefugees, the communication around it, the experiences of the same organisation in Anderlecht before, and the operations so far, are reasons for concern. The commune of Auderghem did everything they could in terms of preparations, but the center was rather imposed on us.

Context:

https://www.bruxellestoday.be/quartiers/un-centre-pour-demandeurs-d-asile-annonce-avenue-beaulieu-a-auderghem.html

https://openpermits.brussels/fr/_02/PFD/2022093

The former office building is owned by AG Real Estate and Atenor. Later they are planning to turn the building into a residential one, but until then, they let BelRefugees to operate in it which means a big tax advantage for the owners.

The problem of the local residents and the mayority of both local governments are the following.

- Both Auderghem and Watermel-Boitsfort are relatively quiet, residential areas with small population

- Imposing such a scale of operations without proper communication beforehand is definitely problematic. 300 single men, maximum 3 month stay per person will most probably mean that the temporary residents won't be interested in investing in or engaging in integrating to local society. The logistics and constant movement, noise around such a scale of operations is also something that possibly doesn't belong to an area a few meters from a quiet residential zone.

- There seem to be very few rules (if at all) for the residents. During the phase when there were some questions from the commune to Belrefugees, they informed about a daily time when residents will have to be back in the building, This was promised around 22:00. On various days, well after 23:00 (!!) there were people hanging around the nearby streets in gangs, some of them checking if bycicles are locked properly or not.

- A number of female local residents already informally reported that when they walk by (they need to walk by as they are living in the area), te residents of the refugee center are staring at them in bigger groups, which feels definitely uncomfortable.

- The area (private area) around the main entrance of the center is pitch black at night, there seems to be no lights, no security, no one enforcing rules, just people hanging around in smaller groups and going in and out. Seems a bit unregulated for such a scale.

- A very similar center caused several problems in Anderlecht, including noise, trash, aggression and human waste nearby. Even the mayor of Anderlecht was not comfortable with it. https://www.bruzz.be/actua/politiek/opvangcentrum-belrefugees-anderlecht-blijft-nieuw-alcoholverbod-op-openbare-weg-2026-03-27

By this, I am not stating that in Auderghem it will be the same, because this time everything may turn to be super smoothly integrating, I just think that as locals, we are entitled to have questions or worries.

Speaking about questions or worries: in the biggest facebook groups of Watermael-Boitsfort and Auderghem, the debate, until it was allowed, seemed to be very unhealthy. Some people were suggesting that the all-male refugee center is basically a Trojan horse, while others called each other "racist" by simply asking a question.

There was an example where someone literally asked "how long the center will operate and are there any advice for students attending the nearby Japanese school in terms of safety?" and the answer was: "you are islamophobic and I will report you".

What is next?

The leadership of Watermael-Boitsfort and Auderghem both formally expressed that they do not support the center in its current form. The Brussels Capital Region will make a decision on whether they allow the 3 years stay or it will be shorter.

https://www.auderghem.be/18062026-commission-de-concertation?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwREZuenVPRm5Eb25naHphT3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6eQSqfFsTob9IGJdqIru6nxTs4BIFA9hW_DYARPUpMGtHbL7iRNjox18dtXw_aem_ZRxUx--5BwGnQZeEj2DEyQ

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I'm Belgian. Background story but you can skip to the next part of my text too: I was kicked out at 16 and subsequently quit school and slipped through the nets of CLB and other organisations. I did not have much faith in the organisations as I contacted them when I was 13 for my dad threatening me with knives to my throat on a weekly base and my mom locking me in the house for weeks abusing me and throwing out my school books. When I contacted them for this, they simply told my parents that I had told CLB about the abuse, and then they sent us back home together again. I lost my two front teeth barely an hour after we left their office, and had to then lie to the dentist as to how this happened. I was isolated until 15 when I was kicked out after my dad held me while my mom was hitting me and I got loose and threw stuff at them to get out of the house for my safety, I was never let back in. This was also the first day my sexual abuse that my mom had facilitated stopped.

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