Minister Van Bossuyt halves Brussels Deal: "No blank cheque for Brussels homeless shelters"

The federal government is further scaling back the temporary Brussels Deal. Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt is scrapping around 700 additional reception places, on top of the roughly 300 places that were already phased out earlier. As a result, capacity will be reduced from 2,000 to around 1,000 places, in line with the current number of asylum seekers still waiting for a place in Fedasil's regular reception network.

"The federal government only funds reception for people who are legally entitled to it. It is not our responsibility to help finance Brussels' homeless shelter system."

Capacity aligned with current needs

The Brussels Deal was introduced at the end of 2022 under the previous federal government, when Fedasil lacked sufficient reception capacity. Through Brussels-based homeless support organisations, around 4,000 asylum seekers were temporarily accommodated while waiting for a place in the regular reception network.

According to Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, those exceptional circumstances have fundamentally changed. Today, around 1,000 single men remain on Fedasil's waiting list. The minister also notes that roughly half of them are currently staying with family, friends or acquaintances and therefore do not occupy a place under the Brussels Deal.

"Taxpayers' money can only be spent once. If only around 1,000 people remain on the waiting list, I am not going to keep paying for 2,000 reception places."

Fewer places for unaccompanied minors as well

The reduction does not only affect adult asylum seekers. Reception capacity for unaccompanied foreign minors will also be adjusted to reflect current occupancy levels.

Until recently, the Brussels Deal provided 200 reception places for this group, while only 53 are currently occupied. In addition, spare capacity remains available within Fedasil's regular reception network, and the number of new arrivals has remained limited in recent months.

At the request of Bruss'Help, the remaining capacity will therefore be reduced to 65 places, in line with current and expected demand.

Full phase-out by the end of 2026

The minister intends to transfer everyone still on Fedasil's waiting list into the regular reception network by the end of 2026. Once that has been achieved, the temporary Brussels Deal can be phased out completely.

According to Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt, the move is part of a broader reform of Belgium's asylum policy.

"Our policy is gradually restoring order to the asylum chaos left behind by the Vivaldi government. The number of new arrivals is falling month after month, allowing us to close reception facilities. I do not dispute that homelessness is a serious problem in Brussels. But as Minister for Asylum and Migration, I cannot solve every problem Brussels faces simply by writing another cheque."

New cooperation proposal remains unanswered

The minister acknowledges that Brussels is facing greater migratory pressure. That is why, at the end of June, the federal government submitted a proposal for a new cooperation agreement to the Brussels Regional Government.

The proposal aims to provide guidance that is better tailored to each person's residence procedure. For people without legal residence status, the federal government also wants to strengthen support for voluntary return.

So far, the Brussels Regional Government has not responded to the proposal.