Thousands of migrants have landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa this week after crossing the Mediterranean Sea on small unseaworthy boats from Tunisia, overwhelming local authorities and aid organizations.

On 17 September 2023, the European Commission President von der Leyen with Italian Prime Minister Meloni urged EU Member States to use the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism and transfer migrants out of Italy.

After this call for solidarity, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor indicated: “We are experiencing a shortage of reception places and we are doing everything we can to make them available for those who register in Belgium. Currently, we cannot, as a country, give a positive response to ad hoc relocations.” 

Nicole de Moor, however, recalled that Belgium has long advocated for a fair distribution of migrants and can only commit to permanent relocation agreements.

You can find additional information on the call for solidarity in the press statement by President von der Leyen with Italian Prime Minister Meloni in Lampedusa.

You can find more information on the Belgian position in various press releases in French or in Dutch.