A country of origin can be considered as safe if there is generally and consistently no persecution or risk of suffering serious harm. In order to determine if a country is safe, the legal situation, the application of the law and the general political conditions in the country are taken into account, as well as the extent to which it is possible to obtain protection against acts of persecution or ill-treatment. The list is revised at least once a year and can be updated on the basis of the most recent situation in the country.

On 19 April 2024, the Council of Ministers approved the following list of safe countries of origin, determined on the basis of the independent assessment of the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Kosovo, Moldavia, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, and Serbia. 

Moldova was added to the list, knowing that 986 Moldovans applied for asylum in Belgium last year, and not a single Moldovan was recognized as a refugee. In a press release, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration underlined that there are 370 Moldovans in the reception network, although they almost never appear to be fleeing persecution. By adding the country to the list of safe countries, those asylum applications can be processed more quickly and these people do not remain unnecessarily in the asylum procedure or reception.

For further information, you can read the press release from the Council of Ministers of 19 April 2024 in French or in Dutch.