A Glimpse into Brussels: Where Migration Stories Come Alive

It takes nothing more than curiosity to learn something new. Curiousness is undoubtedly present in our Migration & Societal Change PhD group, who recently embarked on a quest to capture tangible migration stories in real places. Our guiding question was simple yet profound: How does migration change the places we live in? While people’s movements shape and reshape many locations, Brussels stands out as an example. Our students travelled to Brussels on July 18/19 2024 to broaden their perspectives beyond their individual research topics.

One might wonder why this excursion was necessary. Often, stepping away from one’s research and exploring something seemingly distant can provide unexpected depth and understanding to one’s work. For instance, Eduardo, who works on understanding which political narratives can foster solidarity across ethnic lines among working class citizens with and without a migration background, found his interest piqued during our tour of one of the Brussels neighbourhoods, Molenbeek. We stopped in front of an old café, now closed, where unofficial workers' unions once formed. Our tour guide, Sara, transported us back in time, describing how no divisions among workers – Italians, Moroccans, Turks, and others - stood together and organised. Background, language or ethnicity didn't matter as ‘they were all covered in coal dust from the mines’. In that context, many great relationships of solidarity were formed.

Sara, a math teacher who grew up in Molenbeek, was an exceptional guide. She brought the neighbourhood’s soul to life with her personal stories and opinions, clearly touched by the history of Molenbeek and its people. Chloé, whose research focuses on the link between educational attainment and perceptions of discrimination, was touched by her stories and the way she would talk about polarisation and racism while placing a hand on her heart, expressing the pain she feels. 

Molenbeek gained international notoriety as a place to avoid due to some residents' ties with the 2016 terrorist attacks. While political and urbanist interventions have thoroughly changed the face of quarter, this image continues to haunt the residents. Sara's first words to us were reassurances of our safety, which is sadly a common concern she addresses with visitors. However, we felt in great hands and discovered a vibrant and lively part of Brussels.

There, our PhD group visited the small but rich Migration Museum. This museum offers a fascinating journey through Brussels' changing social landscape. It's like a time machine, showcasing communities’ development, changes, formation, and dissolution, with a focus on working migration over the decades, from Europe and beyond. Caroline, whose work relates to seasonal labour migration in Belgium and the Netherlands, realised how little has changed for those seeking a better life there and how much the struggles of migrants back then relate to those of today. The museum all allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of Belgium, and Brussels in particular, and how intricately their histories are intertwined with migration.

Our group also met with local researcher, Shila Anaraki, Dounia Salame,Ciel Grommen, Tasneem Nagi in Parc Maximilien, exchanging experiences and insights of research in the migration field. As we learned from our colleagues, the park played a significant role in the so-called ‘summer of migration’ in 2015, when it was a meeting point and a focal point of information, connection and solidarity for all newcomers to the city. Bastian, who works on queer migrant communities in urban peripheries, related these experiences to his own research on queer-migrant communities in Berlin and Paris, their claiming of public space and how municipalities support or fight these processes. Ciel Grommen, showed us the self-published book ‘Seasonal Matters Rural Relations’ that tackles the challenges of seasonal workers and cohabitation in rural Belgium through art and academic intervention which features an essay by our Caroline.

In an abandoned factory complex abandoned since 1977, nowadays reduced to ruins, is a small but captivating Labour Museum. This factory was an important sight in the times when Brussels industry was flourishing and therefore today become a place dedicated to industrial history. It is located in Molenbeek, that once was called the "Little Manchester" due to its working-class nature. Objects and stories exposed in this museum bring to life all tools and machines that once were used by the migrant workers in the town. It was a situation where our Sara whose work is dedicated to migrant’s thoughts and aspirations towards retirement and pension wondered how those former workers of “Little Manchester” managed to survive their retirement. At the entrance of the old factory, a sign read:

 “Visitors, behind you stands the rue de Ransfort, the canal, and the city. In 1814, rural Molenbeek counted 1.600 inhabitants. Thanks to the canal de Charleroi, Industrialization grew here. In 1890, 58.445 people lived in these neighborhoods, then nicknamed "The small Belgian Manchester". The history of industrialization is also one of immigration. Flemings, Walloons, soldiers from Wellington, Communards from Paris, Italians, Spaniards, all settled here They came to improve their living conditions Their work is the industrialization. Visitors, you are going home via rue de Ransfort. Through a neighborhood, a city, a region which, yesterday still, was the most industrialized of this country. Now, the industry crumbled down. Work changed. So did the city. Offices are spreading, cars are taking over everywhere. Comfort is getting better, but not for all. Houses are occupied by news inhabitants coming from Maghreb, Pakistan, Subsaharan Africa... They came to improve their living conditions. Work, the industry, still constitute a long story writing itself day after day, here and elsewhere…”

Our PhD group didn't just engage in academic pursuits; we also indulged in the varieties of local cuisine. Authentic couscous in Molenbeek recommended by our guide Sara was a treat. And the dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant in the centre of Brussels was a delicious and delightful experience, as evident from the smiles on all of our faces. Also, Eduardo highly recommends trying the truffle-flavoured chips!

If you're a doctoral student researching migration-related topics and find the experiences of this group intriguing, you are invited to join them in future explorations. Together, continue to unravel the complex tapestry of migration and its impact on our world, cities, and lives. Whether you are a fresh PhD candidate at Utrecht University or have only recently discovered this group, you are welcome to join at any time. The group is constantly open to new members, so feel free to reach out to our organizers Bastian Neuhauser and Jana Finke and connect with them. We are looking forward to have you!