KEC2021003G0072.jpg

Asylum seekers Belgium

In 2021, I was invited by Fedasil (the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) to visit a large number of people who had applied for asylum in Belgium but whose requests were refused. These were individuals who later returned voluntarily to their home countries.

The countries involved included Armenia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, El Salvador, Brazil and Rwanda.

This series presents a personal selection from those journeys, made during the COVID period. It brings together images taken during these visits alongside moments of street photography captured in and around the places where these people now live.

Research, participant selection, logistical support, and organization were provided by Fedasil, Caritas, and IOM.

The exhibition (called Re\turn), organized, curated, and designed by Fedasil, takes place at the Wintercircus in Ghent (until Nov 23/2025).

The interviews and exhibition texts were written by Catherine Vuylsteke.