As a reminder, last summer, just over 470 people went on hunger strike for 2 months, in the Béguinage church and in the buildings of the ULB and the VUB. An agreement – oral – was finally reached on July 21, 2021, through negotiators such as lawyer Alexis Deswaef. There would be no collective regularization, but all the files would be declared admissible, would be examined quickly, and taking into account a series of guidelines, such as anchoring and integration in Belgium, promises of employment or the regular presence of family members in Belgium.
The files were not treated differently.
The Secretary of State denies. In the press release sent by his cabinet, one can read:People who received a positive decision went on a hunger strike unnecessarily, because the cases were not treated differently because of the hunger strike.”
“The migration rules are clear and it is particularly important that they are respected. The ‘Office des Étrangers’ has studied all these files in depth, some of which have up to 300 pages. I hope this will allow us to close the discussion. We continue to work on a correct policy. For most people, that means going back to their home country.” adds the Secretary of State.
