The corona crisis is not affecting everyone equally. People without legal residence – a group that in normal circumstances already finds it difficult to meet their basic needs – are now having an extra hard time. The few (precarious) income activities available to people without legal residence are at a standstill. The food aid that was usually made available (but only to a limited extent) by organizations and other services has now also been eliminated. This is only a brief summary of the obstacles created by the corona epidemic and its accompanying measures.
In just a few days, one hundred people were already supplied
In response to the growing demand for basic necessities, Voyaach, a collaboration between our association Pigment and the Brussels Meeting/Society Building project, set up a temporary food distribution point in just a few days. Thanks to the financial support of the King Baudouin Foundation and private individuals, food packages are distributed every Thursday, supplemented with products for basic hygiene. Hundreds of people have already been supplied.
This temporary emergency solution is essential because otherwise very vulnerable people risk being completely without basic necessities. As soon as the worst of the crisis is over and the preventive measures are eased, Pigment hopes to be able to concentrate again on their main focus: structural work and working on basic rights with people without legal residence.
Pigment doesn’t stand alone
Pigment is not alone in his concern for those without legal residency. Eerder riepen verschillende organisaties, waaronder Netwerk tegen Armoede, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen en Samenlevingsopbouw op tot solidariteit met deze en andere zeer kwetsbare groepen.