Anneleen Van Bossuyt: “We want to regain control over migration flows”

During her appearance on De Afspraak op vrijdag, Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt defended the federal government’s strict policy on asylum reception and returns.
“We want to regain control over the influx. Our asylum system simply can’t cope anymore.”

Putting an end to asylum shopping

The minister emphasized that genuine asylum seekers are still given shelter: “Asylum seekers — people who explicitly say, ‘I am fleeing and I’m applying for international protection here’ — they get a place in reception centres while their procedure is ongoing.”

She continued: “The families with children we’re talking about here are people who have already received protection in another EU country — often Greece. They’re making a very deliberate choice: ‘No, what I get in Greece isn’t good enough. I want better social benefits, so I’ll continue on to a country where I think I’ll get more.’ That’s asylum shopping. And in such cases, we say: ‘Sorry, but you already have protection elsewhere in the EU. We won’t provide reception again.’ And that is fully in line with European law.”

Voluntary return as an alternative

In response to criticism that families are being left on the streets, Van Bossuyt replied: “They always have the option of entering a voluntary return programme to the country where they received protection. In that case, we offer accommodation and support in a dedicated return centre. So they are making a conscious decision twice to decline that option.”

“We’ve chosen to implement the European Pact on Migration and Asylum a year ahead of schedule, simply because we’re being overwhelmed. The influx is enormous, and we need to get it back under control,” she stressed.

One billion for asylum reception

“How do you explain to the public that we’re spending a billion euros on reception?” asked the minister. “Ten percent of our reception capacity is taken up by people who already have protection in another country. And only one in four applicants here actually gets asylum. That shows that far too many people are coming because they’re hoping for a better future. I completely understand that, but our system can’t handle it.”

Finally, Van Bossuyt highlighted how much Belgium is already doing: “Belgium is doing more than its fair share. We’re in the top five for the number of asylum applications, even though we’re not a country at the EU’s external border. We have 36,000 reception places. Last year, there were 40,000 applications — and nearly half of those came from people who had already been granted protection elsewhere.”