Anneleen Van Bossuyt: “Further boosting returns from prisons”

Overcrowding in Belgian prisons remains a hot-button issue. According to the Minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt, the solution does not lie in releasing inmates early, but in firmly returning people without legal residence to their country of origin. She explained her position on Villa Politica.

While some coalition partners argue for early releases to ease pressure on the prison system, the minister is sticking to the N-VA party line. “We must not create a sense of impunity,” she says. Instead, she is focusing on the more than 4,000 people without legal residence who are currently behind bars.

Record figures for returns

Since the current government took office, returning people without legal status from prison has been an absolute priority. According to Anneleen Van Bossuyt, that focus is now paying off. “When it comes to returning people without legal residence from prisons to their country of origin, we are seeing an increase of 25%,” she explains. “At the start of the legislature, an average of 105 people were returned each month. That figure has now risen to 146 per month.” She does, however, stress that these results do not come easily. “This requires very close cooperation within the government.”

Contacts with Afghanistan

Last week, a technical mission travelled to Afghanistan. The minister is keen to clarify that no political talks were held with the Taliban. “The Director General of the Immigration Office went there to meet with a technical and administrative delegation,” she says.

The aim of these contacts is to unblock a problem that has dragged on for years. Many Afghan asylum seekers are denied protection, yet cannot currently be returned. Priority is given to those who have committed crimes. “Naturally, the focus is first and foremost on those who are in prison. That is our top priority,” Anneleen Van Bossuyt stresses.

A broader downward trend

The rise in returns from prisons is part of a wider shift. The minister also points to a clear downward trend in overall asylum figures. While acknowledging that the international context always plays a role, she notes that the decline in Belgium is steeper than the European average.

“The tide has turned,” says Anneleen Van Bossuyt. The positive figures are no coincidence. “Since our measures came into force, we have seen a drop of 28%. That is significantly better than the European average of 17%. It would be misleading to attribute this trend solely to external factors,” she concludes.