The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe examined the execution of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in Camara v. Belgium. The case highlighted a systemic failure to enforce judicial decisions ordering the State to provide accommodation and material support to asylum-seekers. While some progress has been made in freeing up reception places and improving operational support, concerns persist over reductions in capacity and the risk to the rule of law. The Committee urged the Belgian authorities to adopt sustainable measures and provide detailed information on enforcement.

A European pilot project is underway to improve access to sustainable housing for beneficiaries of international protection and beneficiaries of temporary protection. Running from November 2024 to October 2027, PATHS brings together IOM, Orbit and Fedasil in Belgium, with partners in France and Greece. The initiative focuses on preventing homelessness through housing platforms, stronger intermediary organisations and greater engagement with property owners.

On 23 July, Belgium officially published two new laws aimed at reducing the burden on international protection procedures and limiting access to reception for certain applicants. In particular, these laws redefine which applications are considered subsequent by including those who have already received protection or a final decision in another EU country, and they limit access to reception facilities and material assistance for this group. The laws reflect the government’s intention to streamline asylum processing and manage reception capacity effectively.

The Dutch Council of State has ruled that single male asylum seekers may no longer be transferred to Belgium under the Dublin Regulation. The judgment cites systemic failures in Belgium’s reception and legal protection for this group, exposing them to a real risk of inhuman treatment. These individuals must now remain in the Netherlands while their asylum claims are processed.

Fedasil heeft een verdere vermindering aangekondigd van het aantal opvangplaatsen voor niet-begeleide minderjarige vreemdelingen (NBMV). Tegen 1 september 2025 zullen 279 plaatsen uit het netwerk worden gehaald. Deze maatregel, die in april werd goedgekeurd, is een reactie op de aanhoudende daling van het aantal aankomsten sinds 2023. Het merendeel van de betrokken plaatsen zal worden omgevormd tot generieke opvangplaatsen.

Op 17 mei, de Internationale Dag tegen Homofobie, Bifobie en Transfobie (IDAHOBIT), heeft de organisatie Prisme een reeks aanbevelingen bekendgemaakt die de uitdagingen benadrukken waarmee LGBTQIA+ personen die  om internationale bescherming verzoeken in België worden geconfronteerd. Deze bevindingen wijzen op verschillende tekortkomingen in het opvang- en asielsysteem en schetsen maatregelen om inclusievere procedures te waarborgen.

Tijdens een lunch-and-learn sessie ontmoette het EMN België-team ongeveer 30 medewerkers van Fedasil om het werk van het Europese Migratienetwerk voor te stellen, actieve deelname aan het EMN netwerk aan te moedigen en updates te geven over recente en aankomende publicaties en activiteiten.

In a judgment issued on 11 April 2025, the District Court of The Hague, sitting in Groningen, found that single, non-vulnerable male asylum seekers face a real risk of being deprived of adequate reception facilities in Belgium, which could lead to inhumane or degrading treatment. This ruling follows previous decisions by Dutch judges who determined that Dublin transfers to Belgium could not be carried out due to insufficient guarantees of proper accommodation.

Last year, Fedasil’s mobile and multilingual Reach Out team provided information to 1.702 migrants in precarious situations in Brussels and Flanders. Representing more than 75 nationalities, these individuals received counselling on a wide range of topics, from international protection and reception to healthcare, employment, and voluntary return.

In een nieuw rapport dringt Amnesty International er bij de Belgische regering op aan om ervoor te zorgen dat alle asielzoekers adequate huisvesting en toegang tot gezondheidszorg krijgen, inclusief gespecialiseerde psychologische ondersteuning, ongeacht hun huisvestingssituatie. De Belgische autoriteiten worden ook opgeroepen om het "spreidingsplan" uit de nationale wetgeving te activeren en noodplannen te implementeren om schommelingen in het aantal asielaanvragen op te vangen.

On 25 March 2025, the Belgian Contact Point to the European Migration Network (EMN) participated in a study morning dedicated to the presentation of a new tool: "The Reception Centre as Seen by Children." The new tool provides practical methods for capturing children's experiences, enabling professionals to better understand their needs and enhance the quality of care in these centres.

The Minister for Asylum and Migration has decided to discontinue the Impuls Fund, which had been established to provide additional support to local authorities in covering the extra costs associated with opening new Local Reception Initiatives. The Minister will now move towards a more collective approach to reception, with existing Local Reception Initiatives being gradually phased out. 

In their report 2024, seven humanitarian and civil society organisations raise concerns over the Belgian government's plan to reduce reception places for applicants for international protection, warning that this measure could increase homelessness, negatively impact individuals' health and integration prospects, and generate significant hidden costs for society.

Fedasil revealed that Belgium resettled 487 people in 2024, exceeding the 287 resettled in 2023. The refugees resettled in 2024 mainly came from countries such as Syria, Congo, Eritrea and Sudan.

Terwijl België blijft kampen met een opvangcrisis die sinds de zomer van 2021 aanhoudt, blijkt uit de laatste cijfers van Fedasil dat het aantal plaatsen voor asielzoekers dar door gemeenten beschikbaar wordt gesteld, blijft afnemen.

On the occasion of International Volunteer Day, Fedasil highlights the importance of volunteers who give their time to residents in reception centres and of sponsors who create links with these residents outside of the centres. If you have free time, join them and contact a reception centre in your neighbourhood!

On 26 November 2024, the European Commission launched a new programme to support a Talent Partnership between the EU and Pakistan. The programme, that is funded with EUR 3 million from the EU, will enable the EU, its Member States, and Pakistan to develop a coherent set of actions on labour mobility and skills development.

The Federal Institute for Human Rights launched an investigation into "the growing tendency of Belgian authorities not to implement court decisions that condemn them", inter alia regarding the reception of applicants for international protection. The report following the investigation will be sent to the Chamber of Representatives.

Tijdens deze conferentie zal worden onderzocht hoe de voordelen van externe samenwerking op het gebied van migratie kunnen worden gemaximaliseerd. Een breed scala aan nationale en internationale deskundigen, waaronder beleidsmakers uit EU- en niet-EU-landen, mensen uit de praktijk en onderzoekers, zal discussiëren over de uitdagingen en onderdelen van effectieve migratiepartnerschappen, waarbij mogelijkheden voor zowel evenwichtige als alomvattende samenwerking en innovatieve benaderingen worden verkend.

Fedasil announced that the Belgian reception network has now a higher capacity than that recorded during the asylum crisis of 2015-2016. However, this capacity is insufficient to accommodate all applicants for international protection who are entitled to reception. At present, 2.650 single men are still on the waiting list for a reception place.