The annual report highlights the following figures regarding international protection applications in 2024:

• 39.615 people lodged an application for international protection with the Immigration Office, including 484 individuals arriving in Belgium through resettlement. Belgium recorded an average of 3.301 applicants per month, with a peak of 4.383 in October 2024.
   
• 6.469 people submitted a subsequent application for international protection, representing a 9% increase compared to the previous year.
   
• The main countries of origin of international protection applicants were Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Turkey. For the first time, Palestine ranked first with 5.692 applicants in 2024.
   
• 66.5% of applicants were men, compared to 33.5% women. The proportion of male applicants was particularly high among Afghans (83.1%) and Palestinians (81.2%).
   
• 2.345 applicants identified as unaccompanied minors, but 1.417 out of 2,345 were confirmed minors after age assessment.

The same report underlines the following trends concerning decisions on these applications:

• The CGRS made 27.471 decisions covering 34.052 people, a 14% increase from 2023. This was achieved through new recruitments and special measures to boost efficiency.
   
• The CGRA granted international protection status in 47.2% of final decisions, up from 43.5% in 2023 and 43% in 2022. This increase is mainly due to the high number of Palestinian cases, most of which result in protection status. Of the final decisions, 45.3% were refugee status recognitions and 1.9% granted subsidiary protection.
   
• The highest number of refugee statuses granted by the CGRA concerned applicants from Palestine, Syria, Eritrea, and Afghanistan. Subsidiary protection was most frequently granted to applicants from Yemen, Syria, and Sudan.
   
• The CGRA issued 1.423 final decisions for unaccompanied foreign minors confirmed as minors at the time of decision. 
   
• At the end of 2024, there were 26.119 pending cases involving 32.007 individuals.

Alongside these figures, the report reviews several key developments. It highlights the procedure introduced on 1 February 2024 that allows for faster final decisions in certain cases where applicants have a low likelihood of obtaining protection status. The report also discusses the upcoming launch of flexible units called Prisma, set to operate under a new working method from 1 February 2025.

On the international front, the report covers Belgium’s preparations for implementing and operationalising the Pact, efforts towards greater convergence in decision-making at the EU level, the Belgian resettlement programme, and the Sant’Egidio humanitarian corridor.

The report presents the CGRA’s new competences regarding statelessness and the project aimed at improving the handling of international protection applications from persons with medical vulnerabilities.

The report reveals actions taken to increase staffing levels in 2024, including training new colleagues, as well as organisational work on data management aimed at improving overall efficiency.

Operational and budgetary resources are also clarified.

For further details, please read the report attached above (in French or in Dutch).