From Monday, asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU member state will no longer be eligible for shelter in Belgium.
The policy change was introduced by the country’s minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, as part of the Easter Agreement. The federal parliament approved a series of measures last month aimed at limiting access to the Belgian reception network, which Van Bossuyt described as “crisis measures.”
The first set of measures will be implemented starting Monday. Individuals who have received protection in another EU member state will no longer be accepted into the Belgian reception system.
Asylum is about protection. Those who have that elsewhere in Europe should no longer have access to our shelters. The era of asylum shopping must come to an end,” said Van Bossuyt, reports 24brussels.
The General Commissioner for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS) will expedite the processing of applications for asylum seekers whose cases were previously rejected in another EU member state. For these applicants, their submissions will be deemed inadmissible.
Last year, approximately 15,000 out of nearly 40,000 asylum applications in Belgium were submitted by individuals who had already received protection or had an ongoing application in another EU member state.
Inadmissible Applications
Additionally, starting Monday, the right to shelter will be rescinded for asylum seekers who submit new applications via a minor child after an initial rejection, without presenting new evidence. Van Bossuyt indicated that this measure aims to prevent the misuse of children to prolong procedures and shelter.
Furthermore, beginning Monday, lack of shelter will no longer qualify individuals for subsistence income. Van Bossuyt has expressed her intent to implement “the strictest asylum and migration policy” ever and announced stricter family reunification rules set to take effect in mid-August.
