The law of 10 March 2024 amending the law of 15 December 1980 on the right to family reunification comes into force on 1 September 2024. The changes have an impact among other things on the right to family reunification for parents of accompanied minors with international protection, the right to family reunification for stateless persons, the assessment of minorhood in the asylum procedure or residence procedure for stateless person, etc.

The Belgian Red Cross announced the opening of a new reception centre for applicants for international protection in Brussels. It will be able to accommodate up to 360 people.

In the 2024 Rule of Law Report, especially in the country chapter on the rule of law situation in Belgium, the European Commission recommends that Belgium takes measures to ensure compliance by public authorities with final rulings of national courts and the European Court of Human Rights, referring in particular to judgments finding the State responsible for not ensuring adequate reception of asylum seekers.

From 1 July 2024, adult asylum seekers who stay in a reception centre and who have a working income will have to contribute to this reception. Those who do not wish to contribute may consider staying outside the reception centre. They are free to leave the centre and find their own accommodation.

In order to structurally shorten the duration of reception in Belgium, an amendment was made to the Reception Act. Anyone who receives a final negative asylum decision must leave the reception place within a period of 30 days.

Doctors Without Borders, Doctors of the World, CIRÉ, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, BelRefugees, Caritas International, and the Humanitarian Hub underline the permanent lack of reception, protection and access to medical services for applicants for international protection without a reception place. They want to challenge policy-makers and raise public awareness about people left left on the street.

In its 2023 annual report, the Federal Institute for Human Rights draws attention, among other things, to the failure of the authorities to enforce the rulings of the Belgian and European courts and tribunals, in particular in the context of the reception crisis. The lack of resources for the judiciary, threats to human rights defenders and weaknesses in the right to information are also underlined.

On 22 May 2024, a joint conference hosted by Fedasil and the EUAA highlighted innovative collaboration models designed to strengthen migration systems. The event brought together diverse participants from various EU Member States, including government bodies, international organisations, civil society groups, and private entities. It focused on strategies to improve the reception, information provision, and pre-integration of international protection applicants.

The Expert Conference, that is jointly hosted by Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), in cooperation with the Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe), aims to explore multi-stakeholder strategies in three specific areas: reception, information provision, and pre-integration.

On Friday 3 May 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree appointing Pieter Spinnewijn as Director General of the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). His mandate will begin on 1 July 2024 for a period of six years.

On 24 April 2024, EMN Netherlands, in cooperation with EMN Belgium, organised a conference on family reunification with beneficiaries of international protection. The conference highlighted the EMN Inform on “Family Reunification for Beneficiaries of International Protection”, which was elaborated in light of the 20th anniversary of the Family Reunification Directive. 

This conference organised by EMN Netherlands, in cooperation with EMN Belgium, will focus on family reunification of beneficiaries of international protection in EMN Member and Observer Countries. The influence of European case law in this field will also be examined in more detail. 

Given the strong pressure on the Belgian reception system, Fedasil created more than 3.000 places in 2023. Despite these efforts, Fedasil ran out of places to accommodate all applicants for international protection last year.

On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, the Council of Ministers agreed today to the conclusion of a rental contract for land in Lodelinsart (Charleroi). Fedasil will make the site available to the Belgian Red Cross to place containers in order to increase the reception capacity for applicants for international protection.

In a judgement released today, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that an unaccompanied minor refugee, who reached majority during the procedure relating to the application for family reunification with his or her parents, has a right to such reunification.

Researcher and author Pascal Debruyne will present his book which contains stories of parents and minors who struggle through the family reunification procedure and stories of care providers who try their best to support these families. Panel discussions will also take place with experts in this field.

A new reception centre that can accommodate a maximum of 135 applicants for international protection has opened in Ghent. This is the second reception centre managed by Fedasil in the city. Since 2020, the Agency has been organizing the reception of 250 people on a pontoon in the port of Ghent.

The first 15 asylum seekers have arrived today at the new Fedasil reception centre in Grimbergen. The new reception centre, which will accommodate up to 100 people, is specifically intended for people with medical problems, as well as their families.

On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today on the extension of support measures for the reception and support of asylum seekers in the Brussels-Capital Region. A total of 2000 places are now available for asylum seekers who cannot immediately get a place in the Fedasil reception network.