Government approves establishment separate ministry of Migration
On Friday, the federal government approved an initial blueprint for the Federal Public Service (FPS) - as a ministry is officially known - for Migration, which is yet to be established. This would bring the various migration services under a single umbrella.
At present, the Immigration Office (IO) falls entirely under the FPS Home Affairs, but the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) and the Council for Alien Law Litigation do not. The asylum agency Fedasil, meanwhile, is a separate agency. The age assessment of foreign nationals who claim to be minors, on the other hand, falls under the FPS Justice.
This fragmentation “is currently costing us time and energy that we cannot afford, given the high migration pressure”, stated the current minister for Asylum and Migration, Anneleen Van Bossuyt. “By better coordinating everything and creating a clear chain, we are turning a fragmented landscape into a coherent whole.”
The minister presented a blueprint for the new ministry to the government, which gave the green light on Friday. It sets out four general directorates: “Protection”, which includes the CGRS, “Access and Residence”, “Reception” and “Return”. The Council for Alien Law Litigation would be attached to the public service as an independent administrative court.
In addition, two units will be established to support all directorates: one for vulnerable persons, such as unaccompanied minors, and one for security cases involving, for example, radicalisation or human trafficking.
According to the minister, the asylum procedure will run more smoothly with the new ministry, thanks to efficiency gains. “That is more humane, saves on reception costs and ensures more returns,” she emphasised.
According to Vanessa Matz, minister for Public Sector Modernisation, the FPS Migration serves as a pilot project for the future further centralisation of support services within government departments. This means that not every FPS will need to have its own departments for, for example, IT, facilities management or procurement.
Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt © PHOTO Werner Lerooy / BELGIAN_FREELANCE
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