Flemish Minister for Home affairs, Administrative affairs, Civic integration and Equal opportunities, Bart Somers, wants newcomers to succeed in 9 out of 11 questions about the Belgian fundamental values.

In 2022, 2,673 persons voluntarily returned to their country of origin. The number is higher than before the corona period, when 2,426 persons returned voluntarily in 2019. 

People affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria who wish to travel to Belgium to receive support from their families will have their visa application handled faster.

State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor, is putting in place prevention campaigns to prevent asylum seekers under the responsibility of other European countries, from starting an asylum procedure in our country. This secondary migration from other EU Member States creates additional pressure on Belgium's asylum system and reception network.

On 24 January 2023, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Nicole De Moor, attended the Commission for Home Affairs, Security, Migration and Administrative Affairs in regard to the reception challenges Belgium faces regarding applicants for international protection.

In 2022, Fedasil welcomed 71 refugees resettled in Belgium, mostly Syrians from Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. This figure is not in line with the objectives set at the beginning of last year.

In the Chamber of Representatives today, Nicole de Moor presented the main lines of its policy on asylum and migration. Despite the many current challenges, the State Secretary intends to carry out reforms in this field.

The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) launched asyluminbelgium.be. This new website provides information in nine languages about the asylum procedure in Belgium, tailored to the needs of asylum seekers. 

The new State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) presented his General Policy Paper on Asylum and Migration in Parliament on 18 November 2020.

In its Review 2019, Fedasil presents the most important events and figures on reception, voluntary return and resettlement of the past year. The overview shows an increase in the number of people entitled to reception and for whom more than 5000 temporary places were opened in 2019.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal interviews of applicants for international protection at the CGRS were stopped in March. They were started again in June. To improve the safety of staff and applicants, a video with practical instructions was created.

On 22 October 2019, the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) published the results of the survey conducted in the spring of 2019. The results show that especially the search for housing for beneficiaries of international protection is very problematic. The regulations state that, in principle, they must leave the Local Reception Initiative (LOI) within two months. As in the VVSG survey of 2017, half of the respondents do not consider this period to be feasible. For almost 1 in 5, finding housing within this timeframe very exceptionally the case, and only thanks to the possibility to extend the stay in the LOI twice by 1 month.  

On 8 October 2019, Fedasil launched the new information platform www.fedasilinfo.be. The mobile website provides applicants for international protection (asylum seekers) in Belgium with reliable information in 12 languages, 8 of which include an audio version.

Today the English translation of the latest report on Human Trafficking and Smuggling from Myria was published. The 2018 report focuses on underage victims of trafficking and smuggling of human beings.

The Federal Public Service Interior has made a short video about foreign unaccompanied minors seeking international protection in Belgium.

Voluntary returns to the countries of origin are decreasing. Among others, this is the result of the lower number of asylum applications during the past years.

On the occasion of the publication of its annual report "Migration in rights and numbers: family life in jeopardy", Myria organizes a conference in the Belgian Senate on June 26.     

Voluntary returns to the countries of origin are decreasing. Among others, this is the result of the lower number of asylum applications the past two years.  

In February, Fedasil, the federal agency in charge of the reception of asylum seekers, has signed a framework agreement with the Belgian development agency, Enabel (www.enabel.be).    

Today a new law was published on the fight against false declarations of parenthood. The Law of 19 September 2017 modifies the Civil Code, the Immigration Law, the Judicial Code and the Consular Code, and it includes preventive and repressive measures.

As from today, potential victims of trafficking are issued an annex 15 valid for 45 days during the reflection period, following modification of article 61/2 §2 of the Immigration Act.

Today, two new laws have entered into force. They focus on the procedure to end the residence rights and organized the removal of foreign nationals legally residing in Belgium for reasons of public order or national security.

Foreign nationals might have to pay a fee of maximum 50 euro in certain municipalities when they renew, extend or replace a temporary residence permit at the level of the municipalities. Modifications by the Law of 18 December 2016, published today in the Belgian Official Gazette, made it possible for municipalities to collect this fee.

Today the Council of Ministers decided that the mandatory fee migrants have to pay when applying for certain residence permits will increase.    

Today a new law enters (partly) into force inserting a general residence condition into the Immigration Act. The Immigration Office can now put an end to a residence permit if the person cannot put forward provable integration efforts.