2021 hunger strike of undocumented migrants in Belgium

There are an estimated 150 000 undocumented migrants in Belgium, many of who work in industries such as restaurants, cleaning, and construction.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, the Belgium government refused to implement policy changes to protect undocumented migrants, unlike several other European governments, such as temporarily extending unemployment benefits or offering temporary residencies. As a result, many undocumented migrants in the country were forced into extremely precarious situations and charities struggled to provide enough help.[3]

Throughout the first few months of 2021, a number of protests was held by undocumented migrants concerning their situation. However, the Belgian government refused to implement any policy changes.

On May 23, 476 undocumented migrants began a hunger strike. They gathered at the church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage and at the Université libre de Bruxelles, setting up mattresses with signs displaying each of their jobs and calling for the Belgian government to grant them temporary residency, support to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the establishment of an independent body to oversee residency requests with clear criteria and in a timely manner. The Red Cross provided some medical support for the strikers.[4]

In support of the strike, the We are Belgium too group was founded, launching a petition that gained tens of thousands of signatures.[5][6] In mid-July, the Belgian artists at the Festival d'Avignon read an open letter of solidarity with the strike.[7] The Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 also released an open letter in support of the strikers, with other 100 signatures from high-profile public figures, stating that "over the last 20 years, European states have collectively and drastically reduced the legal migration pathways to Europe."[8]

On 20 July, two United Nations officials called for the Belgian government to grant temporary residence permits, with UN special rapporteur on human rights and extreme poverty Olivier De Schutter stating that "the information we have received is alarming and several of the hunger strikers are between life and death."[9] Afterwards, two of the left-wing parties in the governing coalition in Belgium, the Socialist Party and Ecolo threatened to collapse the government if any of the strikers died. The left-wing Vooruit, however, stated that they backed the government's stance.[10]

On 22 July, following further talks with the government, the group ended their hunger strike after two months and the hunger strikers were taken to the hospital. Although it refused to implement any widespread policy changes, the government had promised that the hunger strikers would be able to go to a neutral zone and have their cases for residency evaluated individually.[11] De Croo welcomed the end of the strike, stating that "a government can never accept blackmail."[12]