The Belgian Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) announces a series of changes that will apply from 12 June 2026. These changes are part of the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in 2024. They will affect asylum procedures, operational practices and new institutional responsibilities.

In 2025, minors accounted for 23.7% of all first-time asylum applicants in the European Union, according to recent Eurostat data. A total of 158.400 children applied for asylum for the first time, including a significant proportion of unaccompanied minors. While the overall number of minor applicants declined compared to previous years, children continue to represent a substantial share of asylum seekers in the EU.

The Council for Alien Law Litigation (CALL) has made the use of its child-friendly courtroom (“Salle M”) a structural arrangement as of March 2026. The measure applies to asylum appeal cases involving unaccompanied minors and is accompanied by adapted summonses, age-appropriate information materials, and strengthened judicial training on children’s rights. The initiative builds on a pilot phase and forms part of broader European efforts to enhance child-friendly justice.

On 22 April 2026, the Belgian Federal Ombudsman published its annual report for 2025. The institution recorded a further increase in the number of cases handled, with migration-related issues remaining the main source of complaints. The report highlights recurring concerns linked to administrative procedures, in particular in the field of visas and residence-related decisions.

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.

Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt is carrying out a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The visit takes place in the context of a marked increase in asylum applications from Congolese nationals in Belgium in recent years. The mission aims to discourage unfounded asylum applications, address the misuse of visa procedures, counter document fraud and misleading messages from smugglers, and strengthen cooperation on return and the fight against irregular migration. 

On 31 March 2026, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) announced that it would temporarily suspend the notification of certain decisions in cases concerning applicants from Lebanon, in view of the current situation in the country.

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 is advancing plans to consolidate its asylum and migration services under a single Federal Public Service (FPS) Migration. The initiative aims to create a unified administrative framework for managing asylum and migration processes. The governance model for the new service was approved by the Council of Ministers to structure its internal organisation.

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.

The Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) has announced that it will resume processing cases from applicants originating from the West Bank who are not registered with UNRWA. The decision follows a temporary suspension in March 2025 due to the unstable situation in the region. The CGRS now has sufficient up-to-date and objective information to assess the need for international protection.

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.

The Council of Ministers approved, at second reading, two draft bills aimed at implementing the European Pact on Migration and Asylum in Belgian law. The texts were adopted with a view to their submission to the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium under an urgent procedure. The first draft bill aims to apply or transpose eight legislative instruments of the Pact into Belgian law, while the second concerns procedures before the Council for Alien Law Litigation.

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 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.

The medical office run by Médecins du Monde within the Humanitarian Hub in Brussels will cease its activities on 31 March 2026. The closure follows the recent shutdown of the Athena Medical Centre. According to the organisation, this will further reduce access to primary healthcare for vulnerable groups in the capital. Médecins du Monde has warned of likely consequences for emergency services and for people with limited access to care.

Refugee Walk 2026 is an annual fundraising walking event organised by Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen. Thousands of participants will walk either 20 km or 40 km on 4 October, choosing to join the central event in Brussels or to follow a self-selected route elsewhere. Walkers participate individually or with friends, colleagues, or organisations, combining physical activity with a visible show of solidarity for refugees.

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.

The Klarafestival 2026 in Brussels brings together audiences, musicians, and participants from diverse backgrounds around the theme “Where is Home?”. The festival combines classical music concerts with additional activities such as conferences and discussions. It also engages in social initiatives, giving young talents a platform and reaching communities that do not usually experience live classical music. In 2026, particular attention is given to refugees, highlighting the importance of having a safe home and a sense of belonging.

The Summer School in Brussels brings together around 100 participants, including students, academics, and professionals from EU Member States and EU institutions, as well as refugee-students supported by the RefYOUgees initiative. It combines a series of courses on EU Migration and Asylum Law with debates on recent policy developments. Participants also attend seminars presenting PhD research projects and discuss complex legal and policy issues. The programme provides opportunities for interaction and networking among students, academics, practitioners, and refugee participants.

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.