|
Belgium |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Resettlement and humanitarian admissions |
A new community sponsorship programme was activated and the first families arrived to Belgium through this programme at the end of 2020. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A new IT system was launched in the arrival centre in Brussels to document residents in accommodation. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A new feature of the online web application, Match-IT, was rolled out to document social aspects of an applicant. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The notification of negative decisions was temporarily suspended for applicants from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the suspension was fully lifted on 2 March 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration planned to undertake an audit of the asylum services (CGRS, Immigration Office, Fedasil and CALL) with results expected in summer 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced the recruitment of 700 new staff for the CGRS, the Immigration Office and Fedasil and published a vacancy notice in June 2021. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Flemish family allowance system was reformed and transformed into a so-called Growth Package (Groeipakket), whereby every child in Flanders is entitled to the allowance as of 1 January 2019, including minor applicants in the second reception phase. |
BE LEG 02 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The Immigration Office increased its staff working on Dublin cases. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
The CGRS in Belgium continued to give refugee status to minor girls with a well-founded fear of persecution due to female genital mutilation, but parents were no longer granted derived refugee status automatically and needed to submit a separate request for regularisation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
Fedasil made improvements to the arrival path in the temporary arrival centre in Brussels, rendering registration and lodging procedures quicker and more efficient. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Council of Ministers approved several measures on 14 November 2019 to speed up the procedures for international protection by hiring more staff in asylum authorities, increasing reception capacity to accelerate outflow and cooperating closer with all federal government departments. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS developed and implemented a system to prioritise specific cases or profiles. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Fedasil and the Red Cross established an agreement with the Flemish Integration and Civic Integration Agency to notify the public of the opening of any new reception centre and the agency would appoint a liaison officer to support the local administration in addressing residents. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Applicants do not need to obtain a separate work permit since 1 January 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Persons already benefitting from international protection in another EU Member State no longer receive material reception conditions. Dublin applicants who absconded and re-applied for reception after six months were also no longer entitled to material reception conditions. Fedasil evaluates these rejections on a case-by-case basis, taking into account any specific vulnerabilities of the applicant. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The new Royal Decree establishing the list of safe countries of origin entered into force. The list itself includes the same countries. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Council of Ministers approved a law proposal and a draft royal decree, which aims to adapt the working methods of the CALL to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments concern the electronic communication of procedural documents and the written procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Belgium adopted an exceptional regulation which temporarily allowed an additional procedural document to be submitted when the appeal was restricted to a written procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
In order to fill gaps in labour market shortages caused by the pandemic, applicants were exceptionally exempted from the 4-month waiting period until 30 June 2020. In view of the continuing shortage of workers in some sectors due to the closing of the borders, this measure was resumed from December 2020 until 30 June 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A law proposal was put forth to reduce the period of exemption for beneficiaries of international protection from the requirement to have sufficient economic resources from one year to three months. |
BE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The Netherlands and Belgium concluded an agreement to replace PCR tests by a quarantine before departure. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
5 411 new reception places were created. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Access to information |
Fedasil launched a multi-lingual information platform for applicants for international protection, www.fedasilinfo.be, accessible only from Belgium and available in 12 languages. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The staff of two Fedasil reception centres underwent intensive training on restorative practices, developed by the Oranjehuis NGO, to prevent conflicts between unaccompanied minors and staff, provide sustainable measures for minors and reduce the need for disciplinary transfers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The French-speaking Brussels Community Commission – the francophone government of Brussels – announced that the city’s integration programme became mandatory on 1 January 2022, and those who fail to comply receive a fine. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |