Police have evicted more than 150 homeless asylum seekers from a tent camp along a canal in Brussels on Tuesday, according to the news agency Belga.
"Security was no longer guaranteed because of the occupation of the entire street," said Catherine Moureaux, mayor of Molenbeek, the Brussels neighbourhood where the eviction took place, Belga reported.
Over five months ago, around 30 asylum seekers settled along the Molenbeek canal. Their numbers grew to more than 150 after the eviction of squatters from a nearby building.
All persons evicted from the canal are to be accommodated in new shelters, Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor tweeted.
De Moor said reforms were necessary to ensure similar situations did not continue while thanking local officials for their cooperation.
Reception centres for asylum seekers have come under increasing strain with people ending up on the streets due to place shortages since 2021, Fedasil, the Belgian asylum seekers' service, reported.
Fedasil said up to 37,000 applications for international protection were received in 2022, up 40% from 2021.
According to Fedasil estimates, more than 3,000 asylum seekers were homeless at the start of 2023.
