N-VA on the 2021 annual budget for Asylum and Migration: “A huge budget for asylum reception, a modest budget for returns”

The 2021 budget for Asylum and Migration has been announced. The N-VA makes a global analysis.

Former Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Theo Francken has been asking for clarity about the budget for the important Asylum and Migration Department for six weeks now. “Our persistent questions apparently irritated the Secretary of State. For example, he falsely accused me of distorting the truth when I kept pushing for clear answers. Ridiculous.”

Almost unlimited budget for asylum reception

Now that the budget has been submitted, there will be clarification. “What is positive is the general increase in the migration budget through the interdepartmental provision. From EUR 50 million extra in 2021 to EUR 100 million in 2024. The priorities are digitisation, alternatives to detention, adherence to return processes and guidance for illegal immigrants. In addition, all services of the Immigration Department will be reinforced. The decline in the regular return budget, the remarkable sharp increase in the costs for illegal immigrants in the detention centres, and the almost unlimited budget for asylum accommodation, remain negative aspects,” Theo Francken continues.

FEDASIL costs through the roof

Compared to 2018, the last year in which Theo Francken was Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, the funds for asylum reception by FEDASIL are no less than 63% higher. A total of EUR 165 million has already been added. The total estimated budget for asylum reception in 2021 already amounts to EUR 427 million. “The European asylum crisis of 2015-2016 is now several years behind us, and the European influx has fallen sharply since then. Nevertheless, the crisis in Belgium seems to be continuing. The Belgian asylum figures have even risen again in recent weeks. The completely free reopening of the Belgian asylum office is not helping matters. Neither is the purple-green decision to fly in 150 boat migrants from Lesbos and start up resettlement again. And that in the middle of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The only thing that Secretary of State Sammy Mahdi achieves with this open welcoming policy is to organise even more illegal asylum flows to our country. That amounts to papering over the cracks with taxpayers’ money. Secretary of State Sammy Mahdi must finally have the courage to make substantial savings on the asylum budget by advocating the Australian asylum model, among other things. Illegal migration to Europe must stop.”

Skimping on returns

We see a reverse evolution in the regular funds for repatriation. Compared to 2018, the budget has decreased from EUR 10 million to EUR 6.67 million. This while 63% of asylum seekers ultimately do not receive refugee or subsidiary protection status; they receive an order to leave the territory, but two-thirds of them simply remain in Belgium. “The number of people who disregard a deportation order is enormous. Still, Secretary of State Sammy Mahdi cannot think of anything better than to cut back on the regular funds for returns. The regular return budget is one third lower than during the last year of the so-called Swedish coalition. He now promises extra money through the interdepartmental provision, but these will mainly go to alternative detention and voluntary return schemes. These projects have been repeatedly proven not to work, or hardly work at all.”

Lack of clarity an asset

Finally, the N-VA sees a striking increase in the provision for “reception of foreign nationals without resources”. “These funds are usually used to pay for clothing and entertainment for illegal immigrants in the detention centres. We now see that this budget increases from EUR 5.43 million in 2018 to EUR 7.38 million in 2021, while the occupancy rate in detention centres for illegal immigrants has only been one-third for months because of coronavirus restrictions. The budget should logically drop sharply rather than increase. This raises a lot of questions.”