Belgian authorities announced the implementation of a new set of strict asylum laws and procedures, effective Monday. Asylum seekers who have previously received protection in any other European Union member state will no longer be able to receive shelter in Belgium.
Belgian Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt said this step is part of what she described as "crisis measures," agreed upon as part of the government's Easter agreement to address the growing pressure on the refugee reception network.
According to the belganewsagency website, Belgium has been experiencing significant pressure on refugee accommodation centers for years. Last year, the country received 40,000 asylum applications, including 15,000 applications from people who had already received protection or had an ongoing asylum application in another European country, such as France, Germany, or the Netherlands.
The Belgian government believes that continuing to receive these individuals exacerbates the housing and shelter crisis and hinders the provision of protection to those who have not yet received any form of asylum.
Van Bossuyt said, "Asylum means protection. Those who receive this protection in another country within Europe no longer make sense to occupy a place in our shelters. We are putting an end to the search for the best host country."
The minister explained that the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS) will work to expedite the processing of asylum seekers whose applications were previously rejected in other European countries, automatically deeming their applications inadmissible in Belgium. This is expected to significantly reduce the pressure on the Belgian reception system.
In addition to halting the accommodation of externally protected refugees, the Belgian government will begin implementing a series of other measures, most notably: tightening the conditions for family reunification starting in mid-August, with the aim of reducing the influx of refugee family members into the country.
The government will also abolish the right to apply for new asylum through a minor child if the first application is rejected, unless the applicant presents substantial new evidence. The government says this measure aims to prevent what it describes as "the exploitation of children to prolong procedures and secure shelter."
Those without shelter rights are denied adequate basic income, placing additional pressure on those trying to remain in the country without legal status.
These measures come in the context of a new Belgian policy, considered one of the strictest in the country's history regarding immigration and asylum, amid criticism from human rights organizations that it could increase the suffering of refugees and push some into more precarious living conditions.
However, the government insists that these policies are necessary to relieve pressure on the reception system and ensure genuine protection for those most in need of asylum, in accordance with European Union standards and the Geneva Refugee Convention.
The number of Syrian refugees who received protection status (refugee or subsidiary protection) in Belgium amounted to approximately 2,774 Syrians out of the total asylum applications in 2024, according to the AIDA report issued in June 2025 on the asylum situation in Belgium.
Previous reports indicated that approximately 35,000 Syrians have been granted asylum in Belgium since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
In 2021 alone, the number of Syrians who obtained Belgian citizenship reached approximately 3,287, indicating the presence of a large Syrian community that has surpassed the number of asylum seekers in previous years.
Zaman Al-Wasl
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