Belgian media revealed a scandal involving the leak of personal data on hundreds of asylum seekers in the country. Official files were found in a dumpster at the Tioux camp in Wallonia, a temporary reception center run by Fidasil during the winter.
The scandal coincided with new decisions to suspend the processing of Syrian asylum applications until the end of October, at a time when criticism of the conditions of reception centers is growing following the recording of more than 1,200 violent incidents in and around them in 2024.
According to VTM, the documents included complete asylum applications, photos, names, dates of birth, and family and medical information for at least 250 asylum seekers from countries including Syria, Gaza, Niger, Rwanda, Eritrea, Angola, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The incident sparked widespread controversy over Fidasil's weak data protection practices and its clear violation of European data protection laws. Media reports also warned of the danger of this information reaching the authorities in countries of origin, especially if asylum applications are rejected and applicants are forced to return.
For its part, Vidasil acknowledged the incident and announced an internal investigation to determine responsibility, confirming that it is investigating whether the incident was the result of individual employee error or negligence during the departure of some residents.
The current total number of Syrian refugees in Belgium is approximately 3,000 with protection status, in addition to a number still awaiting a decision or expatriates not identified in these statistics.
According to the Asylum Information Database, 2,682 Syrians were granted refugee status in Belgium by 2023. In 2024, 5,617 Syrians submitted asylum applications, of whom 2,765 were granted refugee protection, 166 were granted subsidiary protection, and 709 were rejected.
Fares Al-Rifai - Zaman Al-Wasl
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