2021 hunger strike of undocumented migrants in Belgium
The 2021 hunger strike of undocumented migrants in Belgium was a two-month-long hunger strike held by several hundred undocumented migrants in Belgium in protest of the policies of the Belgian government, led by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi, concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and residency permits. Background The Belgian authorities do not have a reliable estimate of the number of undocumented workers residing in Belgium. The estimates range from 50 000 to 250 000 people. The public administration's working assumption is that there are at least 100 000 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. Hunger strike 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