Anneleen Van Bossuyt: “A tougher migration policy is a necessity”

Belgian Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt announced several months ago that she intends to implement the strictest migration policy Belgium has ever seen. In an interview on De Tafel van Tine, she explained why she believes this policy shift is urgently needed.

According to Minister Van Bossuyt, the current situation is unsustainable. Last year, nearly 40,000 asylum applications were filed in Belgium. What concerns her most is that a significant number of those applicants had already received protection in another EU member state. “This puts a huge strain on our system. Hosting asylum seekers costs us nearly one billion euros a year. While the number of asylum claims dropped by 12% across the EU last year, it rose by 12% in Belgium. The pressure on our Social security Social security is currently managed at the Federal level in Belgium. The most important pillars of Belgian social security are: sickness and invalidity insurance (NIDHI), pensions, unemployment insurance and child allowances. In addition, occupational illness, occupational accidents and annual holidays are dealt with at this level. Some Flemish parties have been campaigning for years for (large parts of) social security to be transferred to the Regions and Communities. social security , education, housing, and public safety is becoming unbearable.”

Three key pillars

Van Bossuyt’s policy is based on three key pillars: reducing the number of arrivals, increasing the number of returns, and ensuring humane reception for those who genuinely need protection. “Today, the average asylum procedure takes eighteen months. The backlog at our asylum services has grown to nearly 60,000 cases. That’s simply not sustainable.”

Several new measures have already been introduced. For instance, the income threshold for family reunification has been raised: anyone who wants to bring family members to Belgium must prove they can financially support them. Additionally, asylum seekers who have already received protection in another EU country are no longer entitled to reception in Belgium. “Our asylum system exists to protect people fleeing war or persecution—not to allow them to shop around for the best social benefits,” Van Bossuyt stressed.

Alongside tighter rules, mobile checks have been stepped up, such as along highways and on international buses. “It’s not just about stopping people—it’s about deterrence. We need to make it clear that illegal entry will not be tolerated.”

The sensitive issue of Afghan returns

One of the most sensitive challenges is the return of Afghan nationals who have been denied protection. Fewer than half are granted asylum in Belgium, but those who are rejected currently cannot be returned to Afghanistan. “We’re seeing a rise in violence by certain groups of Afghan men, both in and outside of asylum centres. I refuse to accept that people with no legal right to stay—and who engage in criminal behaviour—are allowed to remain here. We need European agreements to make returns to Afghanistan possible.”

Turning migration into a positive story again

When asked what she wants to be judged on five years from now, Anneleen Van Bossuyt replied: “For me, success means restoring a positive narrative around asylum and migration. Right now, it’s all negative. But if we can show that migration can be a force for good in our society—for example, by helping address demographic ageing—then we’ll have truly achieved something.”