Belgian Council of Ministers approves governance model for new Federal Public Service Migration
Belgium is advancing plans to consolidate its asylum and migration services under a single Federal Public Service (FPS) Migration. The initiative aims to create a unified administrative framework for managing asylum and migration processes. The governance model for the new service was approved by the Council of Ministers to structure its internal organisation.
On 23 December 2025, the Council of Ministers took note of a strategic vision for the reorganisation and centralisation of asylum and migration services. The plan validated the integration of the Immigration Office, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS), the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Fedasil), and the Council for Alien Law Litigation (CCE) into a single FPS Migration. Following this decision, audits, studies, expenditure analyses, and consultations with the leadership of the four entities, the FPS Interior, and the FPS Strategy and Support were carried out to inform the development of the governance model.
On 27 March 2026, the Council of Ministers approved the governance model for the proposed FPS Migration. The service will be organised into four Directorates-General: Protection; Access and Stay; Reception; and Return. The Council for Alien Law Litigation (CCE) will remain an independent administrative court. A “Decision-Making Authority” will be established within the Protection Directorate to handle applications for international protection, ensuring the objectivity and impartiality of decisions taken in individual cases. Two cross-cutting units will support all directorates: one for vulnerable profiles, such as unaccompanied minors, and one for security-related matters, including radicalisation and human trafficking.
Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt stated that the FPS Migration is intended to enhance coordination across migration and asylum services and to transform a previously fragmented system into a more coherent administrative framework. Minister Vanessa Matz noted that the FPS Migration will also serve as a pilot project for the potential centralisation of support functions across federal administrations. Stakeholders in the asylum and migration sector have expressed cautious support, emphasising the importance of monitoring the implementation of the governance model and its practical effects on asylum and migration procedures.
For further details, please read the press release from the Council of Ministers (in French or in Dutch).