The Belgian Council of State has suspended the decision of the Minister of Asylum and Migration to limit material reception conditions for applicants for international protection who have already obtained protection in another EU Member State. In its judgment No. 267.364 of 8 July 2026, the Council of State suspended the measure following an urgent appeal introduced by several organisations active in the field of asylum and migration. The decision concerns a measure adopted following the entry into application of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026.

According to figures published by Statbel on 10 June 2026, 69.017 persons acquired Belgian nationality in 2025. The most common previous nationalities among those who became Belgian were Moroccan, Romanian, Syrian, Polish and Italian. Compared to 2024, the number of acquisitions of Belgian nationality increased by almost 9.000.

On 9 April 2026, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in M.V. and Others v. Belgium and held that Belgium had violated several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the reception conditions of four applicants for international protection.

The Fedasil Pondrôme reception centre will host a photo exhibition featuring the work of unaccompanied and accompanied minors. The images were created over an eighteen-month project led by CIDJ Rochefort–Beauraing. The exhibition provides insight into the daily lives, experiences, and identities of the young participants. The event is free, open to all, and offers an opportunity to meet the creators.

The Belgian Council of State has suspended a ministerial instruction that systematically limited material assistance to international protection applicants who had already obtained protection in another EU Member State. The court ruled that the instruction exposed these individuals to the risk of severe hardship and potential homelessness. It also noted that, due to its regulatory character, the instruction should have been submitted for review by the Council of State’s Legislation Section.

Belgium plans to progressively return several defence sites used for the reception of applicants for international protection to military use as part of a broader plan to expand defence infrastructure towards 2040. The measure concerns around 4.000 reception places located on military premises across the country. Authorities state that the reduction in capacity can be absorbed within the existing reception network. The transition will take place gradually, with closures scheduled at different times depending on the site.

The Netherlands has decided to resume Dublin transfers of single, non-vulnerable male asylum seekers to Belgium, following a period in which such transfers were suspended after a Dutch court ruling. In April 2025, the District Court of The Hague, sitting in Groningen, found that single male asylum seekers risked being deprived of adequate reception conditions in Belgium, which could expose them to inhumane or degrading treatment. The ruling led to a halt in transfers under the EU Dublin system.

Myria, the Federal Migration Centre, has advised against a draft law proposing to remove the legal possibility of activating a mandatory distribution plan for reception places in times of crisis. The plan allows the federal government to require municipalities to provide local reception initiatives according to objective allocation criteria. Myria stresses that this mechanism is important to safeguard human dignity and the right to reception, particularly during periods of structural shortages. 

CIRÉ, together with partner organisations, has lodged an urgent appeal at the Council of State challenging a ministerial instruction that continues to exclude asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU member state from reception facilities. The move follows a recent temporary suspension of the measure by the Constitutional Court. CIRÉ argues the instruction undermines judicial authority and the rule of law.

According to the Latest Asylum Trends 2025 published by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), EU+ countries received approximately 822.000 applications for international protection in 2025, representing a 19 % decrease compared to 2024. Despite the overall decline, demand for protection remained significant in some groups and countries.

The Antwerp Family Court has annulled the decisions of local civil registry officials that sought to revoke the Belgian nationality of children born in Belgium to Palestinian parents. In five rulings issued on 27 February 2026, the court emphasised that depriving these children of nationality would be contrary to their best interests.

The Belgian Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended legislative measures introduced in 2025 that tightened rules on material reception conditions for asylum seekers and family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. The suspensions concern two separate laws, and the Court has referred several preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify their compatibility with EU law.

Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Belgium has granted more than 101.500 temporary protection certificates to people fleeing the conflict. Today, around 70.600 of these displaced Ukrainians remain in the country. While the temporary protection scheme has been extended until March 2027, uncertainty remains over what will happen afterwards, raising questions for both the authorities and Ukrainian beneficiaries.

On 19 February 2026, EMN Belgium attended a Mutual Learning Seminar organised by ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles) within the framework of the INNOVATE project, supported by EU funding under the Horizon 2020 programme.Held in Brussels, the seminar brought together experts, civil society representatives and policymakers to assess the state of preparedness across EU Member States for transitioning out of temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive, currently extended until March 2027.

Fedasil has released its management plan for 2025–2030. Approved in December 2025 and submitted by Director General Pieter Spinnewijn to the Minister for Asylum and Migration, the plan sets out the Agency’s priorities, including restoring the core functioning of the reception system, strengthening its capacity to respond to fluctuations in the number of applicants to be accommodated, and improving the quality, resilience, and effectiveness of services.

On 12 January 2026, Myria issued a press release regarding a joint opinion with the Federal Institute for Human Rights (IFDH) on a draft law concerning the automatic loss of Belgian nationality. The joint opinion raises concerns over the significant expansion of offences and individuals affected, including dual nationals and Belgian-born citizens. Myria and IFDH highlight potential conflicts with equality, procedural safeguards, and fundamental rights, including the presumption of innocence. The press release draws attention to the consequences for residence rights and the need for thorough judicial review.