23 september 2026
Since yesterday morning, we have been welcoming five members of the collective of Palestinian families affected by the blockage of family reunification at House of Compassion. Their relatives hold a Belgian visa and an official authorization allowing them to join their families in Belgium. These five individuals have begun an indefinite hunger strike. They are surrounded by their supporters, and a medical team will regularly monitor their health condition.
We do not consider a hunger strike to be a desirable course of action and we are deeply concerned about the risks it entails. Nevertheless, what weighs even more heavily on us is standing by helplessly while hundreds of families endure this dramatic and profoundly inhumane situation month after month. We felt it was our responsibility not to remain silent, but to take action and send a strong signal. This is why we decided to host a small group of those who have embarked on this hunger strike at House of Compassion.
When these families reached out to us, they did so because this church represents a symbol of justice for them. As a whistleblowing church, committed to justice and compassion, we are taking this action today to defend the right to family life. We will stand alongside your collective and the hundreds of families it represents in the struggle to uphold the right to family reunification.
We must all defend the right to family life, which is under attack from many sides. Family reunification is not an “invasion” of a country, contrary to what some fear-mongering narratives claim. It is, above all, the right of a person who is lawfully residing in Belgium to be reunited with their spouse and minor children. This is a fundamental right: the right to respect for family life, as well as the protection of the best interests of the child. As a church, we clearly stand with you and with your families.
