Brussels shelter for asylum seekers remains unused

A night shelter for asylum seekers that opened its doors for the first time yesterday in the Brussels WTC tower remained nearly empty last night, as hundreds of refugees chose to stay overnight in tents in the nearby Maximilian Park.

A Radio 1 reporter visiting the new shelter this morning found it mostly empty, after only about 20 people came to stay there. Meanwhile, hundreds more refugees spent the night in the park.

Aid workers see no apparent reason why the refugees chose to stay in the park. They are waiting to see whether the second night in the shelter will be more successful after more refugees have heard about the initiative. Some asylum seekers were not aware that there are shower facilities on site, a survey showed.

The WTC tower night shelter has room for 500 refugees, and offers breakfast in the morning.