The Christian, socialist and liberal public-service trade unions (CSC/ACV, CGSP/ACOD and SLFP/VSOA) have filed a joint strike notice covering all closed centres in Belgium. They point to chronic staff shortages, inadequate infrastructure and an increase in incidents, including arson and physical assaults against staff. The Christian trade union ACV Openbare Diensten is particularly concerned about the growing number of residents with complex needs, including people requiring specific support related to addiction or psychiatric disorders. It considers that staffing levels, training and available resources do not always enable staff to respond adequately to these situations, increasing pressure on teams and contributing to further incidents.

ACV Openbare Diensten has set out several demands: guarantees of sufficient staffing at all closed centres; no increase in resident quotas without additional supervision resources; clear limits on the number of residents with complex needs accommodated at each facility; increases in risk and hardship allowances and the clothing allowance, which it says have remained unchanged for years; and the continued inclusion of these allowances in pension calculations. The union considers these measures essential to improve the attractiveness of these jobs and recognise staff members’ daily work.

In response, Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt acknowledged staff concerns but said that a backlog accumulated over several years could not be addressed immediately. Since taking office, she said, additional resources had been allocated to increase staffing capacity at closed centres and return services. She had also asked Vanessa Matz, the minister responsible for the Buildings Agency, to prioritise the necessary infrastructure works. Van Bossuyt stated that almost 846 staff members were available for deployment across centres with a maximum capacity of 550 residents. She also argued that strikes disrupting return operations could result in people without legal residence remaining in Belgium or in closed centres for longer. Meetings with the minister’s office and the Immigration Office are scheduled for 13 and 14 October, respectively.

For further details, please read (in Dutch) the press release from ACV Openbare Diensten.