During her entire career, Sophie Van Balberghe has worked in the field of asylum and migration. She started her career as a protection officer and supervisor at the CGRS, where she processed refugee cases for 7 years. At Fedasil, she was the deputy director of the legal service for more than 4 years. In 2011 she returned to the CGRS, where she was deputy commissioner general for the past 10 years.

Sophie Van Balberghe holds a master's degree in law and studied at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). She also graduated in human rights.

Sophie Van Balberghe declared: “It is an honor for me to be appointed Commissioner General. I thank Secretary of State Nicole De Moor and the Council of Ministers for the confidence they place in me. I also wish to thank Dirk Van den Bulck, whom I succeed, for the productive collaboration over the past 10 years. Together with my deputy Christophe Hessels and all the CGRS staff, I fully commit myself to the challenge to lead and implement the structural changes necessary to continue ensuring the sustainability of the asylum system and our protection mission.”

For further information, please read this press release from the CGVS.