A policy that reveals its true face: families and children left on the streets. A policy that dehumanises. The right to reception is a fundamental right. There is no reception crisis — there is a crisis of solidarity. This is why we want to form a human chain: to resist the dehumanisation of people seeking shelter.
Join us. Stand together. Make a difference.
This event is organised by Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, House of Compassion, Amitié Sans Frontière, Umbrella Refugee Committee and the Citizen Platform Bel Refugee.
Where: Boulevard du Neuvième de Ligne, 1000 Brussels, Belgium When: On 20 June, World Refugee Day, we will mark this day in Brussels with a joint action in front of the Petit Château. We will gather to form a human chain — a strong and visible gesture affirming that everyone deserves dignity, everyone deserves a place.
Programme: 11:00 — Arrival 11:15 — Welcome and testimonies 11:40 — Human chain 12:00 — Closing remarks Open to everyone
At a time when fundamental rights are under pressure, this action calls for placing humanity back at the centre of migration policies.
The action will include speeches, personal stories and a symbolic installation highlighting the urgency of change and solidarity.
Why the Petit Château: The Petit Château is symbolic as the first reception centre opened 40 years ago, in 1986. It is also symbolic for Fedasil itself: a symbol of resistance against an unworthy reception policy marked by the dismantling of accommodation structures. It is equally a symbol of the resistance of Fedasil workers against the unlawful policy led by Anneleen Van Bossuyt.
Political context
The action on 20 June has, on the one hand, a humanitarian and human dimension through the human chain, but we also want to draw attention to Belgian reception policy. Several elements are at stake. Belgium has already been condemned many times — 15,000 times by a labour court, and in April 2026 by the European Court of Human Rights — for failing to provide reception to people seeking asylum. In addition, in February 2026, the Constitutional Court ruled against several measures proposed by Anneleen Van Bossuyt, but the minister simply ignored this decision. We want to use these facts to bring reception policy back to the forefront and to show clearly that this policy is both inhumane and illegal.
The human chain stands in contrast to this cold policy: it symbolises solidarity, as well as the richness that migration brings to society. It is also linked to the activities planned in the afternoon.
Photo © Amitié Sans Frontières
