Belgian railway NMBS faces lawsuit over WWII Holocaust deportations

The Nico Gunzburg Foundation has filed a lawsuit in Brussels against the Belgian state and the national railway company NMBS/SNCB, seeking compensation and an official acknowledgment of responsibility for the deportation of about 25,500 Jews, Sinti and Roma during World War II. Historical research by historian Nico Wouters shows that between 1941 and 1944 the railway was paid nearly 51 million Belgian francs (about €15 million today) by German occupiers to operate 28 convoys that left the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen and transported victims directly to Auschwitz. A Senate‑appointed “Group of Sages” has recommended an apology but stopped short of demanding financial reparations. The case remains open, though the parties could pause the proceedings if the government and NMBS negotiate a settlement.

The lawsuit highlights ongoing efforts by survivor groups and Jewish organisations to obtain recognition of Belgium’s wartime collaboration and to address the legacy of the Holocaust for the few remaining witnesses and their families.