Recent data requested by Green party MP Matti Vandemaele from the Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), indicate a notable increase in the time taken to process applications for international protection. This trend has implications for applicants, who remain in prolonged uncertainty, and for the national reception system, which continues to face significant pressure.

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 5.353 persons obtained Belgian nationality in January 2025. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in January are Morocco, Romania, Syria, Italy and Turkey.

On 11 April 2025, the Belgian Council of Ministers agreed on a package of crisis measures aimed at addressing key issues in the field of asylum and migration. The measures include limitations on reception for asylum seekers, restrictions on subsequent applications for international protection, stricter family reunification conditions, and the termination of integration income for asylum seekers. The four draft bills and the draft royal decree have been submitted to the Council of State for review.

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.

The Education Department of Caritas International Belgium, in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Sankaa, has launched "Building Bridges", an educational resource for secondary school teachers. This resource helps educators address key topics such as identity, prejudice, racism, and media representation. At its core, "Building Bridges" explores the central question: How can we create a more supportive and inclusive society where everyone has a place?

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.

Eurostat released trafficking in human beings statistics, revealing that 10.793 victims were registered in the EU in 2023, an increase of 6.9% compared with 2022 and the highest recorded value in the period 2008-2023. Several countries explained that it is partly reflected through increased attention of the authorities and agencies that fight against trafficking in human beings.

Een nooit eerder vertoonde internationale wetshandhavingsoperatie heeft geleid tot de ontmanteling van Kidflix, een van 's werelds grootste kindermisbruik platforms. Met de steun van Europol hebben autoriteiten uit meer dan 35 landen – waaronder België – gecoördineerde inspanningen geleverd om de website te sluiten en de daders te identificeren. Het platform had bijna twee miljoen geregistreerde gebruikers en faciliteerde de verspreiding van enorme hoeveelheden kindermisbruikmateriaal.

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.

According to recent data released by Eurostat, 124.935 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave an EU country, and 28.630 persons were returned to third countries following an order to leave. When compared with the same quarter of 2023, the number of non-EU citizens ordered to leave went up by 16.3%, while the number of people returned to third countries increased by 24.3%. 

Op 27 maart 2025 heeft EMN België meer dan 130 experts uit de wereld van asiel en migratie in België samengebracht. De Minister van Asiel en Migratie, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, sprak een breed publiek van deskundigen aan, afkomstig uit diverse vakgebieden. De deelnemers verkenden zowel recente ontwikkelingen als de huidige en toekomstige uitdagingen met betrekking tot asiel en migratie in België en de bredere EU-context. De dag werd gekarakteriseerd door de verkenning van verschillende thema's in aparte breakout-sessies, waar deelnemers de kans kregen om informele netwerken te creëren en mogelijke samenwerkingen te verkennen.

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.

According to new data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 8.938 persons have died or gone missing on migration routes in 2024, marking the deadliest year on record. This continues a five-year trend of increasing fatalities, surpassing the previous high of 8.747 deaths recorded in 2023.

At the European Council on 20 March 2025, EU Ministers encouraged work in the field of migration, particularly regarding cooperation with third countries and the implementation of existing legislation. They also called on the Council and the European Parliament to advance on files with a migration dimension, especially the recent Commission proposal on returns.

The Belgian Minister of Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, has launched dissuasion campaigns on YouTube and via a WhatsApp channel that directly disseminates deterrence messages to potential asylum seekers. Several organisations have reacted to these campaigns, particularly criticising the messages conveyed by them.

Several raids were carried out on 19 March 2025 by German authorities, with the support of investigators from the Belgian Federal Police. The operation targeted a criminal network based in Germany, facilitating the crossing of the English Channel by small boats. It resulted in 6 arrests under Belgian judicial orders.

De Europese Commissie heeft een voorstel gepubliceerd voor een verordening tot instelling van een gemeenschappelijk systeem voor de terugkeer van onderdanen van derde landen die illegaal in de Europese Unie verblijven. De nieuwe regels introduceren onder andere strengere verplichtingen, en de wettelijke mogelijkheid om personen die illegaal in de EU verblijven en een definitief terugkeerbesluit hebben ontvangen, terug te sturen naar een terugkeercentrum in een derde land. Het Europees Parlement en de Raad van de EU moeten het voorstel nu bestuderen en erover onderhandelen.

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.

In a recent study, the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) recommended clarifying the scope of criminal offences in the Facilitation Directive to ensure that only activities involving organised criminal networks are included and called for the explicit exemption of humanitarian actions aligned with international protection from criminalisation.

In the note submitted to the Chamber of Representatives, Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt described the current situation as operationally, financially, and socially untenable. She announced her intention to urgently submit, as an initial step, a package of crisis measures to address the ongoing asylum and reception crisis. Additionally, she outlined a broader range of measures covering key aspects, including asylum and reception, migration, the protection of vulnerable groups, return and security, the social welfare system, and access to Belgian nationality.

On 12 March 2025, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) announced that it would temporarily suspend the notification of decisions granting subsidiary protection, refusing refugee status and refusing subsidiary protection status from applicants from the West Bank until they have access to sufficient objective information to accurately assess the general situation in the West Bank.

According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, 4.370 persons obtained Belgian nationality in December 2024. The main countries of origin of people who acquired Belgian nationality in December are Morocco, Syria, Romania, Afghanistan and France.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of F.B. v. Belgium, finding that Belgium failed to provide sufficient procedural safeguards in the decision-making process regarding the applicant’s age assessment. The Court concluded that this process violated her right to respect for private life under Article 8 of the European Convention. In particular, it highlighted the lack of informed consent and the failure to explore less intrusive methods before conducting medical tests.

EU Home Affairs Ministers approved a roadmap for the gradual implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) starting in October 2025, the revised Eurodac database set to become operational in June 2026 and ETIAS in late 2026. Ministers also reached broad agreement on facilitating go-and-see visits for Syrians in the EU to assess conditions in their home country without losing their protection status, as well as on measures to return Syrian nationals who pose a security threat or have been convicted of crimes.