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Fedasil announced that it can temporarily make use of centres in Bredene (Flanders) and in Theux (Wallonia) to accommodate applicants for international protection until March 2025. Both sites have already been used by Fedasil in the past, each time for a period of a few months.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception capacity, reception centre, shortage
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Fedasil has a budget for financing specific projects relating to the reception of asylum seekers (and other reception beneficiaries). The Agency has launched its call for projects for the year 2025. In 2025, the focus will be on projects that focus on support, activation, and housing.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: call for projects, applicant for international protection, support, activation, housing
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In their jobs, front-line workers sometimes have to deal with the trauma of applicants for international protection and are confronted with conflicts, tensions and sometimes personal safety risks. Hence, they are exposed to a high risk of personal stress levels and burnout, moral injury, depression, trauma, and other mental health challenges. This conference aims to bring together stakeholders at national and EU level to share experiences, challenges and practical solutions in this field.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: staff wellbeing, frontline worker, stress, burnout
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After nearly two years of closure, Fedasil’s Info Point reopened on 27 September 2023, at its new location in rue Héger-Bordet, 3. The Info Point offers information and counseling for applicants for international protection living outside the reception network, but also migrants in transit and persons without a residence permit.
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In a statement from 19 September 2024, the Council of Europe notes that Belgium has taken steps to address the wider reception crisis (such as creating 3.500 additional reception places and accelerating the examination of certain asylum applications to free up existing reception places), but these measures are insufficient.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception crisis, accommodation, material assistance, judicial decision
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In the 2024 Rule of Law Report, especially in the country chapter on the rule of law situation in Belgium, the European Commission recommends that Belgium takes measures to ensure compliance by public authorities with final rulings of national courts and the European Court of Human Rights, referring in particular to judgments finding the State responsible for not ensuring adequate reception of asylum seekers.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: rule of law, reception, applicant for international protection
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From 1 July 2024, adult asylum seekers who stay in a reception centre and who have a working income will have to contribute to this reception. Those who do not wish to contribute may consider staying outside the reception centre. They are free to leave the centre and find their own accommodation.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, financial contribution, material assistance
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In order to structurally shorten the duration of reception in Belgium, an amendment was made to the Reception Act. Anyone who receives a final negative asylum decision must leave the reception place within a period of 30 days.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, material assistance
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Doctors Without Borders, Doctors of the World, CIRÉ, Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, BelRefugees, Caritas International, and the Humanitarian Hub underline the permanent lack of reception, protection and access to medical services for applicants for international protection without a reception place. They want to challenge policy-makers and raise public awareness about people left left on the street.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception crisis, reception capacity
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In its 2023 annual report, the Federal Institute for Human Rights draws attention, among other things, to the failure of the authorities to enforce the rulings of the Belgian and European courts and tribunals, in particular in the context of the reception crisis. The lack of resources for the judiciary, threats to human rights defenders and weaknesses in the right to information are also underlined.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: human rights, reception crisis, right to information
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On 22 May 2024, a joint conference hosted by Fedasil and the EUAA highlighted innovative collaboration models designed to strengthen migration systems. The event brought together diverse participants from various EU Member States, including government bodies, international organisations, civil society groups, and private entities. It focused on strategies to improve the reception, information provision, and pre-integration of international protection applicants.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: New Pact on Migration and Asylum, multistakeholder approach, reception, information provision, preintegration
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The Expert Conference, that is jointly hosted by Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), in cooperation with the Migration Policy Institute Europe (MPI Europe), aims to explore multi-stakeholder strategies in three specific areas: reception, information provision, and pre-integration.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: multistakeholder approach, reception, information provision, preintegration
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On Friday 3 May 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree appointing Pieter Spinnewijn as Director General of the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil). His mandate will begin on 1 July 2024 for a period of six years.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: Fedasil, Director General
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Given the strong pressure on the Belgian reception system, Fedasil created more than 3.000 places in 2023. Despite these efforts, Fedasil ran out of places to accommodate all applicants for international protection last year.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, reception crisis, reception capacity
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, the Council of Ministers agreed today to the conclusion of a rental contract for land in Lodelinsart (Charleroi). Fedasil will make the site available to the Belgian Red Cross to place containers in order to increase the reception capacity for applicants for international protection.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception capacity, reception centre, container
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A new reception centre that can accommodate a maximum of 135 applicants for international protection has opened in Ghent. This is the second reception centre managed by Fedasil in the city. Since 2020, the Agency has been organizing the reception of 250 people on a pontoon in the port of Ghent.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, Ghent
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The first 15 asylum seekers have arrived today at the new Fedasil reception centre in Grimbergen. The new reception centre, which will accommodate up to 100 people, is specifically intended for people with medical problems, as well as their families.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, medical care
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today on the extension of support measures for the reception and support of asylum seekers in the Brussels-Capital Region. A total of 2000 places are now available for asylum seekers who cannot immediately get a place in the Fedasil reception network.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: homeless shelter, reception centre, reception crisis
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The federal government has reached an agreement today on the 2024 budget. While 1.2 billion euros will improve the budget balance, 500 million euros will cover additional needs, including in the asylum and migration field.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: federal budget, reception crisis
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers approved today a draft royal decree relating to the granting of material assistance to applicants for international protection benefiting from professional income.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: material assistance, professional income, reception cost
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On the proposal of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Council of Ministers agreed today that people who live outside the reception network receive information and support from Fedasil. The Council of Ministers approved an action plan and funding for this purpose.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: Fedasil, socio-legal support
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Today, the Council of State ruled that the use of the extreme emergency procedure was justified and that the decision not to offer shelter to single male asylum seekers violates the right to reception that asylum seekers have by law.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception law, reception directive, right to reception
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The first residents have arrived today in the reception center in Alveringem (West Flanders). These are Syrian families who were resettled from Lebanon.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception centre, resettlement, resettled refugee
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Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor has decided to temporarily stop receiving single males in the national network for the reception of asylum seekers. Through this decision, the Secretary of State intends to anticipate “the growing influx of families and children to absolutely avoid children ending up on the streets in winter.”