Update August 2022 - Due to the saturation of the reception network, the registration of the applications for international protection is temporarily moved to the buildings of the Immigration Office, located on boulevard Pacheco in Brussels. The Immigration Office then refers the persons eligible for reception to Fedasil (the « Petit-Château » or another 1st line centre).  

Submission of an application for international protection

This application usually takes place at the arrival centre in Brussels (the “Petit-Château”). It is inside this building, managed by Fedasil, that the Immigration Office registers the asylum applications.

The Immigration Office registers the application and investigates whether Belgium is responsible for processing the application for international protection (Dublin examination). If another Member State is responsible, Belgium can transfer the applicant for international protection to this Member State. If this is not the first application for international protection, the Office looks at whether the foreigner is providing any new and relevant elements to support the new application (examination of multiple applications). At this stage, the applicant for international protectiononly makes a short statement and completes a standard questionnaire.

Review and decision

The application itself is reviewed by the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS). During an interview with a CGRS employee, the applicant for international protection is given the opportunity to tell his story and specify the reasons for his application. Then, the CGRS examines the credibility and truthfulness of the applicant's statements and allow the applicant to be granted the refugee status or subsidiary protection.

Since 2006, in addition to the status of refugee, there is has also been the status of 'subsidiary protection'. This status may be granted to applicants for international protection who do not meet the criteria for recognition of their status as refugee, but who, nevertheless, are in a situation which means that a return to their home country represents a real danger for them.

The CGRS can then grant or refuse refugee status or subsidiary protection. While this investigation is ongoing, the applicant for international protection receives a temporary resident's permit.

Appeal

If applicants for international protection do not agree with the CGRS' decision, they can lodge an appeal with the Council for Alien Disputes (CAD). This institution may confirm the CGRS' decision (the decision remains unchanged), amend it (the decision is changed) or cancel it (the CGRS must conduct a new investigation).

After the procedure

With the final decision made by the CAD, the procedure for international protection ends. As for any other administrative procedure, there is however the possibility of lodging an appeal with the Council of State. This screens applications in order to check whether the reasons for the appeal are valid.

After the procedure for international protection, applicants are granted protection under the status of refugee or subsidiary protection, or turned down. When the application has been definitively refused, the failed applicant receives an order to leave the territory.

More detailed information on the procedure for international protection is available on the CGRS website: www.cgrs.be.
Our institutional framework ? EMN Belgium made a full overview of how asylum and immigration policies are organised in Belgium.