The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposed " list of safe countries of origin ". Since two years the same seven countries are on the list : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYROM, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and India.

The Royal Decree from 7 May 2013 establishing the list of safe countries of origin was published today in the Belgian Official Gazette. The government lists the same countries as for the previous year.

The new article 57/6/1 of the Aliens Act of 1980 has introduced the notion of safe country of origin in the Belgian law. The royal decree implementing this article came into force on the 1st of June 2012.

At the request of Maggie De Block, Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, and Didier Reynders, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministerial Council approved list of safe countries of origin.