Belgium currently operates six closed centres: two in Steenokkerzeel and one each in Bruges, Merksplas, Vottem and Holsbeek. The decision to construct four additional centres - in Zandvliet, Jumet, Jabbeke and Steenokkerzeel - was made as part of the Integrated Return Infrastructure Plan to increase capacity and improve living conditions. Work on the Steenokkerzeel centre began in mid‑August 2025, with the first stone symbolically laid in November 2025.

The new Steenokkerzeel centre will feature 50 individual rooms, medical facilities, recreational spaces, and offices, with design measures to enhance energy efficiency and accessibility. The building is being delivered under a Design–Build–Maintain contract by the Ibens–Detoo consortium and is expected to be operational by late 2026.

While the Minister of Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, and officials from the Federal Building Agency highlight the project as a key step in Belgium’s return policy, the mayor of Steenokkerzeel has expressed concern, noting that the commune already hosts several closed centres and that adding another facility may have local implications.

For more information on the start of construction in mid‑August 2025, please see this news article (in French or Dutch), and for details on the work launched in November 2025, please see this news article (in French or Dutch).