Hostel Bruegel condemns discrimination and takes strong action

Hostel Bruegel and Hi Flanders, the network to which the hostel belongs, strongly condemn last weekend’s incident in which a guest was refused entry on the basis of their nationality. This discriminatory act goes completely against our fundamental values of hospitality and inclusiveness.

The incident involved an individual act that in no way represents our organisation's policies or values. We took immediate action:

• We are no longer collaborating with the employee in question
• We personally contacted the aggrieved guest and apologised
• We implemented a comprehensive training programme for all our employees, focused on diversity and inclusion
• We are tightening up our internal procedures to prevent discrimination in any form
   

Paul Biliet, managing director of Hi Flanders: "Discrimination based on nationality, origin, religion, or any ground is completely unacceptable to us. We take this incident extremely seriously and therefore intervened straight away. Hi Flanders stands for a welcoming and safe environment for all guests. That is and will remain our absolute priority."

About Hi Flanders

 
Hi Flanders is a network of youth hostels that stands for affordable and sustainable accommodation options focused on encounter and diversity. As a member of Hostelling International, we actively contribute to intercultural exchange and connection between people worldwide.

We remain committed to a society where everyone feels welcome and we call for dialogue and cooperation to restore trust.