Asylum applications in Belgium two-thirds higher than EU average
Belgium is expected to face one of the highest relative asylum pressures in the European Union in 2025, according to Eurostat projections. With an estimated 294 asylum seekers per 100,000 inhabitants, the number of applications will be 67 per cent above the EU average.
“The asylum policy is fundamentally failing, even with a party at the helm that claims to be strict,” said Vlaams Belang MP Francesca Van Belleghem on Friday, in response to the figures.
Sharp contrasts across the EU
The data highlights stark contrasts across the EU. While Belgium is projected to receive 294 applications per 100,000 residents, Poland is expected to register just 46, Denmark 32 and Hungary only 1. According to Van Belleghem, this disparity is “the result of a deliberate policy. Countries like Denmark and Poland are pursuing a deterrent policy that is clearly working.”
In June 2025, Belgium received 3,004 asylum applications, the highest number recorded in that month over the past four years. Vlaams Belang party leader Tom Van Grieken criticised the current federal government’s approach, saying, “De Wever can no longer hide behind the previous government: his policies are only exacerbating the asylum chaos.”
Neighbouring countries are also expected to experience lower relative asylum pressure in 2025. The Netherlands and Germany are expected to receive 117 and 169 applications per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. France anticipates a higher figure of 230, but it is still significantly below Belgium.
“We must make asylum and migration a national responsibility again"
“While the average influx in the European Union is 176 asylum seekers per 100,000 inhabitants, we are a full 67 per cent higher,” said Van Belleghem.
Vlaams Belang is calling for a major overhaul of Belgium’s asylum policy, modelled on the Danish and Polish systems. “We must make asylum and migration a national responsibility again, following the Danish example,” Van Belleghem concluded.
© PHOTO NICOLAS LANDEMARD / LE PICTORIUM
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