Life in the background: Antwerp through the eyes of sans-papiers
How does it feel to live in a city without papers? How do you find work without a permanent residence? Pax Christi Vlaanderen and Filet Divers lead you past well-known places in Antwerp and open your eyes to those who are invisible. “You are always afraid that the police will catch you.”
An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 undocumented migrants live in Belgium. It is estimated that official figures do not exist. Many of them hide anonymously in the big cities. They make themselves invisible for fear of being executed.
Pax ChristiVlaanderen and Filet Divers want to put these people, who are forced to live in the background, in the foreground. They mapped out a walking route through Antwerp, which allows you to get to know the city through the eyes of people without legal residence.
On the basis of audio fragments, sans-papiers guide you along well-known Antwerp streets and squares: from Sint-Jansplein and Meir to Scheldt quays and Sint-Andriesplaats. So don’t expect hidden alleys and dilapidated buildings, but that’s what makes the walk so confronting: places that feel safe and easy to you, suddenly bring a whole feeling with them.
Think for example of the Sint-Andriesplaats, the beating heart of the fashion district. Thanks to the basketball court and the benches, it is a cozy meeting place. Sans-papers come here for a completely different reason, though: “Here’s free Wi-Fi. I come here to watch movies or download music.” “I telephone here via Whatsapp with family. The free wifi allows me to chat with them a lot.”
Fear of arrest
Maybe you sometimes hate the Meir for shopping because you often have to walk over the heads. For those who have no legal residence, this bustle can be a relief.
“If you live here without papers, you can’t just walk down the street. You are always afraid that the police will arrest you. When I walk on the Meir, I feel safe. I feel connected to the people and I am not afraid of anyone. I also enjoy shopping and strolling around. I even feel normal.”
Those challenges to become a thread are the red lines through the testimonials. Fear of taking the bus, use during a check their ID can be used. Fear of committing a minor offense that puts them in touch with the police But also fear of being somewhere.
“It is also you are present in society, but not really present. You live in the background and have to navigate without the government being able to teach you the background.”
“I have feelings about Sint-Jansplein. For undocumented migrants it is a place where you can easily survive because there are always people you can talk to. But by being on Sint-Jansplein, you expose yourself to the police. Your presence is always a little suspicious, especially when you’re carrying a shoulder bag.”
Humanity
In addition to fear, these people struggle with feelings of shame and shame. For example, without legal residence you cannot legally work or fall back on social security. Many find their way to the irregular circuit, where exploitation is more the rule than the exception.
During the lockdown, all the undeclared work fell away, non-essential doggedly and the police enforced this. Even those who in normal times supported themselves and their families with undeclared work, became completely dependent on food distribution.
“There was a really long line and I was embarrassed. That’s why I pulled my hood over my head. I consider myself a strong man. Then why am I standing in line for a food package, I can work myself?”
By giving sans-papiers a voice, this walking guide makes the issues surrounding this human. Yet during the walk you experience a dichotomy between us the ‘legals’ and they the ‘illegals’. This article also contains this dichotomy between how we live versus how they survive. It seems almost inevitable, because living illegally is not a dignified existence.
Go on your own: download the free walking guide.
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