FAQ

With the Refugee Walk, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen is mobilising a wide audience to get involved in helping people who have fled their country from war, violence or persecution through a unique sponsored walk. Participants walk a 20 or 40 km route together with all of Flanders and mobilise their networks to sponsor them for this purpose. This year, participants can once again choose to participate from the central event in Antwerp or map out their own route in a region of their choice.

Each team undertakes to raise at least €100 per team member. If your team consists of one person, you raise €100. If your team consists of five people, you raise €500. All these proceeds will go to people fleeing their country.

In addition, each team member pays a registration fee. We use this for the practical organisation of the event. If you join us from the central event in Antwerp, you pay a €10 registration fee. For this you get tasty snacks and drinks along the route to help you through. Steppers who determine their own route will pay a €5 entry fee and will receive a starter pack for this.

Asylum seekers and refugees can of course participate for free by sending an email to refugeewalk@vluchtelingenwerk.be.

Each team has one team captain and an unlimited number of members. That means your team can consist of 1 person or even of 100 people. The team captain creates the sponsorship page and then invites other strollers to join the team on our platform.

Please note: each member of the team commits to raising €100.

On Sunday 8 October 2023, we will once again kick off in the beautiful Antwerp. All walkers coming to the central event will start from the Zomerfabriek. The 40km walkers will leave at 8:00 and the 20km walkers will leave at 13:00.

The central event of the Refugee Walk will take place at the Zomerfabriek, located at Minkelersstraat 2, 2018 Antwerp. The participants who registered for this will start and end here. 

We encourage as much as possible to come by public transport or by bicycle:

• By train you get off in Antwerp-Berchem. From there it is a 10 minute walk to the Zomerfabriek.
• By bus you get off at the 'Borgerhout Station Oost' stop. From there it is a 4-minute walk to the Zomerfabriek.
• Sufficient bicycle parking is provided for cyclists so that your bicycle can be safely secured

However, are you coming by car? Then you can park behind the Zomerfabriek in the parking lot of the Zomerfabriek itself. However, the places are limited.

Is this too far for you? You always have the option of creating your own route in a location of your own choice.

To create a new team as a team captain: 

1. Choose whether you come to the central event or whether you will create your own route. Are you coming to the central event? Then choose the number of kilometers that you are going to walk and register by clicking on “Sign up”.

2. Enter your information and create a sponsor page for yourself and your team.

3. Pay a 5 euro registration fee online with Maestro, Bancontact, Visa or Mastercard. Your sponsor page will then come online.

4. Share the page with all your fellow team mates. They can register from there.

Are you experiencing problems or is something unclear? Mail to refugeewalk@vluchtelingenwerk.be.

To join an existing team:

1. Go to the page of the team on our website and select “join team”.
   

2. Sign up and pay €5 of €10 registration fee. Create your personal account to join the team and create your own sponsor page.

3. Share your sponsor page with friends and acquaintances to find sponsors.

Are you experiencing problems or is something unclear? Mail to refugeewalk@vluchtelingenwerk.be.

Central event

Every participant will be welcomed with refreshments along the way to regain their strength. So you can expect to get refreshments and snacks throughout the day. This is included in the starter package. Would you also like to enjoy delicacies from world cuisine for lunch? Then you can order a nice packed lunch when you register. Do you have allergies or do you follow a specific diet? Then we recommend that you bring your own food.

Your own route

Each participant who plans their own route will have to provide themselves with lunch and refreshments, as they are walking in their own chosen area.

The Refugee Walk is an initiative of Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen. The proceeds of the money collected will therefore go to the work of the organization. This allows us to welcome refugees on their first day in Belgium, expand our legal helpdesk, and so much more.

Discover all the actions of Refugee Work Flanders here.

As an example:

• With € 40 we can man our legal helpdesk for 1 hour and answer all questions about immigration law.

Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen is committed to helping people fleeing war, violence and persecution. We don't do this alone, but with about thirty members and a lot of enthusiastic volunteers. Together we defend the rights of people on the run.

Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen is specialized in many themes related to asylum and migration. We use this expertise to put pressure on policy, support everyone who works with refugees and receive asylum seekers. It also helps us to work on return if necessary. And stand up for young refugees.

Anyone who donates 40 euros or more between 1 January and 31 December will receive a tax certificate from us. With that certificate you get a tax reduction of 45% (meaning that if you donate €40 your contribution will only cost you €22).

All donations in 1 calendar year are added together. So you can support 2 teams for €20, then you will also receive a certificate.

Tax certificates may only be issued for gifts of your own money. Proceeds from promotions or fundraisers do not count.

Only those who pay taxes in Belgium can make use of the tax reduction.

Take a look at our participation regulations.

During the past two editions, there indeed was the option of walking 10 km at the central event. This year we chose to eliminate this and develop only a 20 and 40 km route. We noticed that the 10 km route was less popular and presented a much more difficult puzzle for us in terms of arrival times and facilities. In addition, it was also a challenge to come up with a nice 10 km route with the same departure and arrival location as those of the 20 and 40 km.

Still fancy coming to the central event? Then definitely try to commit to the 20 km route! Suppose you encounter too many difficulties along the way, we can always pick you up somewhere. If you still want to jo for that 10 km, then of course you can always do this as your own route. There you completely choose which distance you want to walk. You can then also choose to leave or arrive from the Zomerfabriek.

We occasionally get asked if you can also run the 20 or 40 km at the central event. This is certainly possible in itself! Of course we are prepared for a walking pace of our participants. So it could be that the resting points that are provided for the walkers are not yet up and running by the time you pass them.

Do you feel like running? Let us know! And then we can see what's possible and if we can coordinate the timings.

Feel like running your own chosen route as part of the Refugee Walk? By all means, do what you want!