BRUSSELS (AA) – Coalition partners and human rights organizations reacted to the decision of the Government of Belgium to stop accommodating migrants or refugees without children due to giving priority to families with children, reports Anadolu.
The Belgian Minister of Migration and Asylum, Nicole de Moor, said that reception centers have stopped accommodating single asylum seekers.
De Moor cited the expected increase in the number of families with children coming to reception centers during the winter as the reason for this. Stating that they will prioritize families with children, De Moor said they want to prevent children from staying on the streets.
The Belgian minister said that 19,000 asylum seekers were registered this year.
He pointed out that countries like Portugal or Sweden accept far fewer asylum requests compared to Belgium.
The left-wing coalition partners in the Government of Belgium and non-governmental organizations dealing with the rights of refugees and migrants reacted to this decision.
The Minister of Economy and Labor from the Socialist Party, Pierre-Yves Dermang, said that the coalition partners were not consulted when making the decision and that the decision is contrary to international agreements and laws.
Alan Maron, one of the ministers of the Brussels regional government, also said that many more people will remain on the streets of the capital Brussels after the decision of the state government.
During the last winter months in Belgium, hundreds of refugees lived on the streets for weeks in the cold and rain as shelters and reception centers were full.
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