Recognised refugees without housing protest in Ghent
About sixty Eritrean refugees gathered in front of the Town Hall in Ghent to draw the authorities' attention to the impact of the housing crisis on their situation and integration prospects. The authorities expressed their intention to find solutions but called on Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt to address this issue together. They also stated that they would consider a European response to this widespread problem.
On 19 February 2025, a group of 60 Eritrean men, recognised as refugees, gathered in front of the Town Hall in Ghent. Some of them have been sleeping on the streets for months due to the lack of housing. They came to alert the authorities, expressing concerns about the lack of prospects for the future. Volunteers helping them search for housing highlighted that it is almost impossible to find one, as the demand for housing far exceeds the supply.
The Mayor of Ghent, Mathias De Clercq, stated that he would bring this up during a meeting with Danish Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, as Ghent is not the only city in need of more support for the housing crisis. City councilor Astrid De Bruycker emphasised that the city of Ghent is already doing a lot on this issue, particularly through the assistance of the Public Centre for Social Welfare, but that the city is reaching its limits. She called on Anneleen Van Bossuyt to work together to solve this problem.
For further information, please read this press release (in Dutch).