Homeless Deaths in Brussels Surge: Moroccan Migrants Among 762 Fatalities in 15 Years

"We imagine that there are more street deaths than that since the information about the death does not always reach the collective," explains to Le Soir Florence Servais, coordinator of this collective that has been taking care of the burial of the homeless since 2005. For the manager, the assessment after 15 years of activity is far from meeting expectations. "The deaths of (former) street dwellers occur all year round. There are not more in winter than in summer..." she observes, calling for "real structural solutions with a view to profound and lasting change for homeless people and their living conditions".

To read: Community Mourns Moroccan Mother Killed in Brussels Street Attack

In total, 57% of the 518 funerals of homeless people organized between 2005 and 2020 have seen the active participation of the collective. 40% of these burials were organized by the families of the deceased and 144 people of Moroccan and Polish origin were repatriated to their country of origin. "We learn of the death of almost eight times fewer women than men, even though nearly 25% of street dwellers are women," adds Delphine Struyf, communication officer for the collective.

According to the collective’s figures, people of Moroccan, Romanian and Polish origin die on the streets or in other semi-public spaces, while Belgians generally die in the hospital (45%), in nursing homes (11%) or in housing (16%). Statistics that highlight the difficulties of migrants in finding housing and accessing health care.