BRUSSELS

An increasing number of children are being forced to sleep on the streets in Brussels as emergency shelters turn families away due to lack of capacity, Belgium's Children's Rights Commissioner warned on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the Children’s Rights Commissioner and the Child Rights Delegate sounded the alarm over the "deteriorating situation," stressing that "no child should have to sleep outside," regardless of their family's administrative status.

Citing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the statement underlined that every child has the right to an adequate standard of living, including safe housing.

While homelessness is a nationwide issue, the situation in Brussels is particularly severe.

According to 2024 data gathered from key Brussels-based organizations, including Bruss'help and Samusocial, 9,777 people were homeless in the capital, including 1,678 minors.

Applications for shelter are increasing, facilities are overloaded, and refusals are rising sharply.

Samusocial is said to be turning away families on a daily basis and has confirmed that children are currently living on the streets in Brussels.

Officials pointed to a significant rise in childcare refusals for families in 2025, with peaks during the summer months.

On some days, up to 100 families have reportedly been denied shelter.

The commissioners noted that there are no complete and up-to-date figures on the number of people living on the streets, meaning shelter refusals serve as a key indicator of the scale of the crisis.

They also warned that some families no longer seek assistance and therefore remain "under the radar."

Beyond visible homelessness in public spaces, many families are staying temporarily with acquaintances, sleeping in cars or garages, or living in squats, conditions described as unsafe and harmful to children's health and development.

The situation is expected to worsen with the closure of the winter shelter on March 31, which will result in the loss of 285 places for families.

Calling for urgent and coordinated action at federal, regional and local levels, the commissioners urged authorities to adopt a principle of "zero refusal for families" and ensure that no child spends the night outside.