Credit:
Courtesy of Mohammed Amine
The migrants are hoping to raise awareness about their lack of rights in Belgium, and are calling on the government to grant them legal status. Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi has described their actions as “blackmail.”
On the door of the church hangs a makeshift sign: “
Liberté, égalité, dignité," or "Freedom, equality, dignity."
Inside the church, handmade banners read: “
Travailler sans avoir peur de la police,” or “To work without fear of the police."
Mattresses with blankets piled on top are spread out across the church floor, but Amine said it’s often bitterly cold inside.