Statues given refugee status in new campaign
Sculptures around Flanders and Brussels are sporting life jackets and plastic bags full of key belongings to highlight the plight of refugees
Refugee Walk next month
The organisation, which works for the rights of refugees in the region, decorated the statues with signs of the current refugee experience, including a life-jacket and a backpack containing water, a train ticket and a passport. Statues in Brussels, Mechelen and Ostend were also decorated.
“We want to show what it is like to leave your home behind,” said Vluchtelingenwenwerk Vlaanderen director Charlotte Vandycke. “Imagine if you had to gather your every possession in a backpack – practical matters such as shoes, clothes, a passport and money are easy enough to pack, but what about things that have a sentimental value?”
The Refugee Walk takes place on 24 September in the Hoge Kempen national park in Limburg. Participants walk 40 kilometres to raise money for the organisation. Last year, 700 people raised €210,000.
Photo: A Brussels sculpture reflecting the belongings of refugees
©Courtesy Vluchtelingenwenwerk Vlaanderen
