Transport XVIII from Caserne Dossin (Malines-Mechelen), Camp, Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Extermination Camp, Poland on 15/01/1943

The deportation numbers of Jews residing in Belgium was increased from 10,000 to 20,000. This quota would not be met: by the end of the year 14 trains had left from Mechelen, deporting a total of 16,882 Jews.

Thus far, only foreign Jews who came from countries that were occupied by Nazi Germany, and German Jews who were now considered stateless, were deported from Belgium. However, Eichmann ordered the Chief of the Security Police and Security Service (Beauftragter des Chefs der Sipo und des SD – BdS) Ernst Ehlers to arrest Belgian Jews as well. The head of the Militärverwaltungsstab, Eggert Reeder prevented the implementation of this measure because neither the Mechelen nor the Breendonk concentration camp had the capacity to house both foreign and Belgian Jews....