According to Article 57/6, §1 of the Belgian Aliens Act of 15 December 1980, the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) is required to decide on an application for international protection within six months of the date the case is transferred by the Immigration Office. This period may be extended in complex cases, in situations of instability in the country of origin, or in the event of a large number of applications, with a maximum limit of 21 months.

According to data requested by Green party MP Matti Vandemaele from the Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), the average processing time for applications for international protection has increased. In the first months of this year, it reached 496 days, compared to 430 days in the previous year. Approximately 15% of applicants are waiting more than two years for a decision.

Asylum seekers are entitled to reception during the processing period, but delays in decision-making result in longer stays in an already stretched reception network. On average, asylum seekers are currently staying about 14 months in reception centres, although this figure has been higher in recent years.

The current length of asylum procedures is considered problematic for all parties involved: it increases societal costs and prolongs uncertainty for applicants, whether they are ultimately granted protection or not. Structural measures are seen as necessary to ensure that decisions are made within six months.

For further details, please read the press release (in Dutch) in De Morgen.