BELGIUM: New government presents ‘strictest migration policy ever’ ― Highest number of asylum applications for a decade ― Reception crisis continues amid decrease in local accommodation initiatives ― Legal Helpdesk assists 10,000th asylum applicant ― P…

• The new federal government led by the Flemish nationalist New Flemish Alliance has promised major reforms to the asylum system.
• 39,615 people applied for international protection in 2024, the highest number since 2015.
• 3,000 single men continue to be denied reception amid a 30% decrease in local reception initiatives.
• Flemish Refugee Action’s Legal Helpdesk initiative has passed the milestone of 10,000 cases since its opening in April 2022.
• The Wallonian regional government has announced that it will start to reduce the accommodation it provides for Ukrainian refugees in 2025.

After nearly eight months of negotiations, a new federal government led by the Flemish nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party was formed on 31 January. The five party coalition’s government agreement includes proposals for a significant reform of the asylum system. Incoming Minister of Asylum, Migration and Social Integration Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) told the Belga press agency that she wanted to move towards “more controlled migration”. In order to achieve this objective, the government has proposed what Prime Minister Bart de Wever (N-VA) has described as Belgium’s “strictest migration policy yet”. At the EU level, it foresees a stricter Pact on Migration and Asylum while nationally it aims to ensure that Belgium’s asylum policy “does not appear more generous than that in neighbouring countries”. It includes measures such as modernising and stepping up the deterrence campaigns targeting asylum seekers and accessing their telephones for identification and verification. Regarding reception, it foresees that people seeking asylum will only be housed in collective centres, putting an end to emergency accommodation and municipal local initiatives. In addition, the government plans to prioritise subsidiary protection over refugee status, temporarily halt resettlement, optimise the execution of return decisions and limit family reunifications. Commenting on the coalition agreement, ECRE member organisation Flemish Refugee Action (Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen), described the government’s plans as “divisive” and “short-sighted” and that they would scapegoat refugees.

Asylum applications in Belgium reached their highest levels in a decade in 2024. According to data published by the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) on 16 January, 39,615 people sought international protection in Belgium in 2024. This represents an increase of nearly 12% compared to 2023 and the highest figure since 2015. Outgoing Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, highlighted the issue of secondary migration as a major contributor to the increased number of asylum applications. Commenting on the fact that half of all asylum applicants in 2024 had been registered elsewhere in Europe, de Moor said that it was unfair for people who had been recognised elsewhere to apply for asylum in Belgium. “We have to make it very clear to people that after a decision in one country, it makes no sense to try again in Belgium,” she said. In this context, in November 2024, de Moor announced a decision aimed at limiting access to reception facilities for people who had already received international protection in another EU member state. However, on 27 December 2024, the Council of State ruled that the measure was unlawful and ordered an immediate halt to its implementation. Commenting on the ruling, Thomas Willekens from Flemish Refugee Action said: “According to the court, the measure places these people in a situation of great hardship, as they are also not offered reception outside the Fedasil network”. He added that the decision had been drafted “carelessly” and that it was “perfectly legal to apply for asylum in Belgium even if a person already received protection status in another European country”.

Belgium’s reception system continues to face significant challenges. Although the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil) reported a record capacity of 36,077 places in 2024, it also warned that the reception network remained “saturated” with an occupancy rate of around 94%. By the end of 2024, 3,000 single men were on a three- to four-month waiting list for a reception place and many had been forced into rough sleeping. The situation has been further exacerbated by a significant decrease in local reception initiatives. As of 1 January, these initiatives only provided 4,115 places, a 30% decrease compared to 2021. Matti Vandemaele MP from the Flemish green (Groen) party, expressed disappointment at this development on the grounds that small-scale reception was “more humane, cheaper, and very much needed to cope with the reception crisis”.

In January, Flemish Refugee Action’s Legal Helpdesk initiative passed the milestone of 10,000 cases. The service, which aims to assist asylum applicants in accessing free and official legal services, has been operating since April 2022 with the assistance of volunteers lawyers and legal students. Thomas Willekens from Flemish Refugee Action had mixed feelings about the achievement. “10,000 is a huge number and it says something about how many people we have been able to reach. But it is also a sad number because it means that 10,000 people without accommodation needed a lawyer,” he said, adding: “The reception crisis is now into its fourth year, which is four years too long”.

The Wallonian regional government has announced that it will start to reduce the accommodation it provides for Ukrainian refugees in 2025. On 28 January, the government said that, as of 1 April, it would reduce its total refugee housing capacity by 50% to 1,325 places and that this would be decreased to 37% by 1 July and to 25% by 1 October. According to Wallonian Minister for Minister of Energy, Air, Climate, Planning, Housing and Airports Cécile Neven, this approach is intended to “maintain a capacity in the long term to continue to offer accommodation to the most vulnerable people and to newly arrived beneficiaries of temporary protection”.

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