Belgium: Undocumented workers' hunger strikes reach critical point

Sans papiers have occupied several buildings in protest at the governments failure to regularise their status. A hunger strike began at the Béguinage church in Brussels in May. After 56 days, the Ministry of Asylum and Migration offered the 147 Béguinage hunger strikers a compromise deal, granting them a nine-month renewable temporary residence permit and a limited work permit. The Type C work permit is offered to asylum-seekers whose applications have been approved for hearing, and is renewable after one year on evidence of the worker having found a job.

Although hailed as a limited victory by activists, this compromise seems to have heralded a renewed determination on the part of the government not to negotiate with other protesting sans papiers. A hunger strike in the occupied church of Saint-Curé dArs in Forest was called off at the end of July after 23 days. It was the second such hunger strike undertaken in recent months by the Forest protesters.

Kaba NFaly, spokesman for the 39 hunger strikers, said on July 26 that they were becoming demoralised and that their actions were no longer effective as the government had broken for the summer recess and gone on holiday. They had been hoping for similar terms to those offered the Béguinage protesters. Instead, they were given renewable temporary leave to remain for three months on medical grounds.

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