05.09.2020

In collaboration with Le Soir, seven 2nd year students in the journalism Master’s produced various articles on transit migration.

During their last year of the Master’s degree, seven journalism students explored the challenges posed by migration in Belgium under the supervision of Lorrain Khil, a journalist at Le Soir. Since the phenomenon represents a headache for the authorities, since it has plunged hundreds of people into poverty, and since it provides a catalyst to an unprecedented commitment to help by citizens, transit migration has rapidly found itself taking centre stage in terms of work.

The work was to initially have been completed for publication in the spring, but the coronavirus has caused havoc by removing the problem for a while. Owing to the shutdown of economic activity and the closing of borders, truck traffic has been vastly reduced, eliminating any possibility of illegal crossings. For months, communities, regions and associations have struggled to accommodate migrant populations. A hiatus that founds it logical conclusion with confinement. The recent events witnessed in Hesbaye, where an individual notably threatened migrants with an imitation weapon, testify to the tensions caused by this transit or wandering migration with which the authorities are struggling to cope.

The date of completion of the articles is mentioned at the start of each text and a sidebar provides a current update. All of the work as well as the videos and sound can be found online at plus.lesoir.be.