A distinctive action area of the Umbrella Refugee Committee consists in ensuring refugees’ direct participation in decision-making processes.
In line with this commitment, a few days before the EU elections of June 6-9 2024, we organised a political event in which we brought together candidates for the local, federal and elections to the European Parliament (EP) from different parties, as well as migration activists and stakeholders.
Hosted at our refugee Community Centre on June 3rd, 2024 under the slogan “Towards an Inclusive Belgium — Meet Your Candidate,” we aimed to discuss the candidates’ upcoming policy proposals, the newly released EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, and the EU Pact for Equality.
The event was held in both French and English, with consecutive translation provided by the moderator, Ariana Naser from the International Organization for Migration. Translations into other languages such as Persian and Arabic were also facilitated to accommodate the audience’s diversity.
Participant organisations
Political
parties
Stakeholder
organisations
The evening began with each candidate delivering a 5-minute pitch of their migration programmes.
This was followed by a Q&A round, in which the audience (mainly forcibly displaced people), enabled fruitful discussions by highlighting previous policies‘ failures and emphasising the current priorities.
Later on, activists and stakeholders took the floor to discuss the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and present the Pact for Equality, a policy initiative aimed at ending racism and discrimination across the EU. After its presentation, stakeholders called on the candidates to pledge and sign the pact.
The gathering concluded with a networking dinner in which attendees, political candidates and stakeholders further exchanged their views.
Speakers
Candidates
- Aendenboom Pascal (Voor U’s candidate for the Brussels Parliament)
- Ava Basiri (Voor’s candidate for the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region)
- Dara Sheikhi (Vooruit’s candidate for the Flemish Parliament)
- Léa Charlet (Écolo’s candidate for the European Parliament)
- Niaz Ali (Écolo’s candidate for the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region)
- Lailuma Sadid (Défi’s candidate for the European Parliament)
- Zai Juma (CD&V’s candidate for the Flemish Parliament)
Activists
- Fernando Vasco Chironda (European Pact for Equality’s advocate)
- Maguy Ikulu (European Pact for Equality’s advocate)
Media coverage
Check how our political event was featured in the news and current affairs television station
Afghanistan International.
English 
French