Disabled Moroccan Immigrant Faces Homelessness in Belgium After Asylum Rejections

Yassine* left Morocco in 2016 for Belgium, in the hope of building a better life, because "the care of people with disabilities is not, he says, what it should be" in the kingdom. But things are not going as he had hoped. So far, he has not received any valid residence permit in Belgium. "I have already filed several applications, but they have all been rejected," he confided.

For the first few years, Yassine was able to count on friends who housed him. When the last friend who was housing him got married, he found himself on the street. He then found refuge in the night shelter for undocumented people during the winter months. "During the winter months, I could go to the night shelter for undocumented people. When it closed, I had no choice but to sleep outside at night."

So he slept outside for six months, until the winter shelter reopened in the fall of 2024. "It was a horrible period. I often went to the central station, but around one o’clock in the morning, the police chased me away. I then moved to a place behind the station where I could stay dry. But I never really slept those nights. I lived in constant fear, I felt permanently insecure and always on my guard. Because I have no strength, I can’t defend myself if someone wants to harm me."

The 44-year-old man finds himself in the same situation again for the next six months. The homeless aid policy of the city of Antwerp only provides accommodation for undocumented persons during the winter months, but this winter facility closed on March 31, we learn. The Victor 5 center, which offers ninety beds for single homeless and undocumented people, is closing completely.

"Victor 5 closes on April 1st," said Liesbeth De Mayer, spokeswoman for the city of Antwerp. Anyone still in need of accommodation must contact either the Foreigners’ Service or Fedasil, depending on the status of their procedure. The city does not plan any night shelter for undocumented people in the coming months. Day care is provided. You can wash and eat there."

Yassin resigns himself. "I can’t do anything. The street awaits me, he says softly. During the day, I can rest and recharge in the social organizations where I volunteer. I prefer not to go to the day shelters. I don’t want to find myself among people with addiction problems." This situation is not without consequences for his health. "Sleeping outside, I caught a lung infection last year. I’m still suffering from it today and if I have to sleep on the street again, it’s going to get worse," laments the forty-year-old.

*Name changed