Belgium’s Federal Asylum & Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt confirmed on 16 July that she will scrap 1,000 of the 2,000 reception places funded under the so-called ‘Brussels Deal’, a €47 million annual agreement struck in 2022 to relieve pressure on the national Fedasil network. The decision comes just weeks after 300 places were already withdrawn, effectively halving capacity for single male applicants waiting for a first-instance decision. Van Bossuyt argues that waiting lists have shrunk to roughly 1,000 individuals – many now staying with friends or relatives – and that “taxpayers’ money should not bankroll general homelessness shelters.” Brussels-Capital Region ministers accuse the federal government of shifting the problem onto city social services and warn of an imminent “social crisis” as migrants are pushed onto the streets. For global mobility teams relocating staff to Belgium under humanitarian or family-reunification grounds, the move signals a tougher stance on reception infrastructure and could lengthen the period during which applicants must find private housing. NGOs such as BelRefugees predict an explosion of makeshift tent encampments around Brussels North Station, a scenario that would strain local policing and public health resources just as the city welcomes hundreds of thousands of summer tourists. The policy shift also has HR implications for employers sponsoring work-linked asylum seekers under Belgium’s talent programmes. Housing shortages may increase the cost of temporary accommodation and complicate compliance with welfare obligations embedded in single-permit rules. Companies should review relocation budgets and consider partnering with serviced-apartment providers able to guarantee short-term beds. Politically, the cutback is another sign that Belgium’s new Migration Code – aligned with the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration – is translating into on-the-ground austerity. Regional governments have limited leverage but are expected to press for compensatory federal funding or administrative relief when the measure reaches parliament after the summer recess.
Source: The Brussels Times
