Belgium Cracks Down on ’Asylum Shopping’ with New Measures

Maggie De Block does not intend to twist the European asylum application procedure. She will hardly favor the adepts of "asylum shopping". On the contrary, she is making their life difficult, notably thanks to her new measures. These, according to 7sur7.be, target "two specific profiles of asylum seekers".

These are, details the media, people who have already obtained protection in another Member State of the European Union, but who continue their journey to Belgium to also apply for asylum there, as well as reception, "for reasons unrelated to asylum". The Minister of Asylum and Migration describes their behavior as "asylum shopping".

As for the others, they choose to circumvent the Dublin Regulation by opposing their return to the Member State where they first registered in the European Union. In order not to take responsibility for having their files processed, Belgium must proceed with their return to this country of first registration, indicates the same source.

However, reveals Maggie De Block, many asylum seekers try to circumvent the established rules by hiding for the six-month period with their families, friends or acquaintances, without communicating an address to the Office of Foreigners. The objective, according to the Minister of Asylum and Migration, is to resurface at the end of the six months, to "apply for asylum again and therefore be welcomed".

However, in this case as well, the minister remains firm: the Office of Foreigners can already, in any case, extend up to 18 months, the deadline for leaving the territory in the event of a serious risk of concealment, she hammers. Better, "the vulnerability (cases of illness for example) of the persons concerned by the refusal of reception will be taken into great account", she warns.