Belgium cannot refuse single men who apply for asylum. On Wednesday, a judge ruled that they are entitled to asylum. However, the Government continues to plan to accept only women, children and families.
There is a huge shortage of asylum homes in Belgium. That is why Foreign Minister Nicole de Moore decided last month to reserve places for women, children and families.
In practice, this is already the case, as women, children and families are prioritized; men are on the waiting list from 2021. Because there is only one type of shelter in Belgium, many people are referred to homeless shelters. This is because there is only one shelter in Belgium. There are no crisis shelters like in the Netherlands. As a result, many male asylum seekers slept on the streets last year.
Officially, the Council of State ruled, as expected, that the Moors should not be deprived of the right to provide shelter for men. But de Moor emphasizes that the lack of shelter is far from being solved. He still maintains this rule.
Thomas Willekens from VluchtelingenWerk Vlaanderen told:
We have 1,500 accommodation places in Brussels, but around 200,000 people need a place to sleep. And more are being added to this number every day.
So it is very likely that many people will end up living on the streets again. Tent camps and squatters may reappear. But there is also the possibility that they will not apply for asylum in Belgium but go to another country.
