Almost one in three asylum seekers waits more than two years for decision
Nearly one in three asylum seekers in Belgium currently waits more than two years for a decision on their application, according to figures reported by Het Nieuwsblad on Wednesday.
On average, asylum seekers wait more than 17 months (533 days) for a decision. Preliminary figures for the first three months of this year show that 30 per cent of applicants who received a ruling had waited at least two years.
The figures reflect a broader trend of increasingly lengthy asylum procedures. In 2024, the average processing time still stood at 430 days.
According to Matti Vandemaele (Groen), the delays are linked to staff shortages at the Immigration Office (DVZ), which carries out the initial screening of applications, and the Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS), which takes the final decision.
Both services say staffing shortages have since been resolved, although large backlogs remain. In January, tens of thousands of files were still pending at the two agencies.
Responding to the reports, minister for asylum and migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt said the government is investing in asylum services in order to speed up procedures, shorten reception times and achieve structural savings.
Under the European Migration Pact, which enters into force on 12 June, asylum procedures should in principle no longer take more than six months.
Asylum seekers who are legally entitled to shelter were sleeping in tents instead at the Molenbeek canal.
© BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ
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