Sint-Truiden Probes Seasonal Worker Housing at Chateau

The municipality of Sint-Truiden has opened an investigation into whether the operator of Chateau de la Motte complied with permit conditions for housing seasonal workers, following a control visit that raised questions about the number of people accommodated at the 17th-century castle estate. The findings have been recorded in an official report (proces-verbaal), VRT NWS reported.

Investigation Following Neighboring Incident

The inspection was prompted by a violent clash at Chateau de Looz in nearby Hoepertingen (Tongeren-Borgloon), which is operated by the same owners. During that incident on September 3, a major fight broke out among seasonal workers, with approximately 300 people present in buildings licensed for only 50 to 60 persons. Police were forced to evacuate the hotel, and three victims were taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to VRT NWS.

“After the incident at Chateau de Looz in Hoepertingen, which has the same operator, we conducted this control,” said Ludwig Vandenhove, mayor of Sint-Truiden. “From that control it now appears that there are problems in the hotel.”

Capacity Concerns at the Castle

During the control visit over the weekend of September 5-6, authorities at Chateau de la Motte could not present a correct residents’ list. Instead, they received a handwritten document listing 116 names — a figure Mayor Vandenhove described as “relatively many.” Reports indicate that as many as 117 seasonal workers were staying at the site at the time of the inspection.

The city is now examining whether permits granted by Toerisme Vlaanderen have been respected. “If people sleep in a hotel, they are considered tourists and there are rules for that,” Vandenhove said. “We are told that people slept in rooms for 1, 2 and 8 persons. Those must be very large rooms to comply with the rules.”

The mayor also noted that a fruit grower had already removed his seasonal workers from the property, suggesting capacity limits were not being respected.

Operator’s Response

Gerald Kindermans, the lawyer representing the operator, acknowledged that a list with 116 names was handed over during the weekend inspection. However, he said the list included people who had stayed at the hotel in August but were no longer present. “The operator has various accommodations in the area,” Kindermans said. “Those people were not all together in the castle.”

The lawyer could not confirm exactly how many people were present during the control. He stated that both Chateau de la Motte and Chateau de Looz have now been evacuated, and that the operator will no longer accommodate seasonal workers at either property in the future.

Broader Impact on the Fruit Sector

The events have highlighted systemic challenges in the Haspengouw region, Belgium’s largest fruit-growing area, which relies heavily on seasonal workers from Romania and Bulgaria during the August-to-October harvest. The evacuation at Chateau de Looz forced some fruit growers to send workers home, causing significant hardship. Fruitteler Gaston Derwael had to send 50 seasonal workers back to Romania, describing the situation as “a drama” for the workers who lost two months of income, VRT NWS reported.

Industry experts note that housing providers often offer places without registering people with the municipality, making oversight difficult. ARIEC Limburg, a federal police expertise center, recommends that local governments implement “kamerwonen” (room rental) regulations requiring permits for anyone offering rooms to foreign workers, with checks on fire safety, hygiene, and space requirements.

Mayor Jo Feytons of Tongeren-Borgloon has called for consultation with surrounding municipalities to establish better registration systems and prevent abuse. Vilt.be reported that the sector narrowly avoided a major crisis, with one grower noting, “If this had happened two weeks earlier, during the peak of the harvest, it would have been a disaster for the sector.”

What’s Next

Mayor Vandenhove emphasized that while seasonal worker housing has improved significantly in recent years, more needs to be done. “For the coming season, clear agreements must be made, because it’s about people,” he said. The proces-verbaal drawn up in Sint-Truiden could lead to legal action against the operator if violations are confirmed.

With both Chateau de la Motte and Chateau de Looz no longer housing seasonal workers, the region faces an acute shortage of accommodation for the fruit harvest workforce. The case may accelerate the adoption of room rental regulations across Haspengouw municipalities and spur fruit growers to invest in on-site housing for their seasonal workforce.