The Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers in Belgium is going to suspend the reception and placement of single men in order to ensure enough places for families with children, Nicole de Moore, Secretary of State for Migration, said on X (formerly Twitter).
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“The harsh reality is that the Federal Asylum Seekers Agency is fighting every day to secure places for families with children,” de Moore wrote.
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According to her, such restrictions are a necessary measure, as the authorities expect an increase in the flow of families with children in the winter season.
The European Commission has already reacted to the statement of the Belgian authorities.
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“This statement will still be discussed by the Belgian government. It is necessary to check what exactly will happen. The EC will contact the Belgian authorities on this issue,” Anita Hipper, a representative of the European Commission, said at a briefing in Brussels.
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According to her, the European Commission knows that a difficult situation has developed in the Belgian centers for the reception of applicants for refugee status. “We are in contact with the Belgian authorities and continue to support them,” said the European representative.
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At the same time, she recalled that common European rules oblige EU member states to provide decent conditions for asylum seekers.
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Last winter, a spontaneous tent city appeared in the center of Brussels with migrants whom the Belgian authorities did not have time to settle due to lack of space. Also arriving foreigners were accommodated in empty buildings in Brussels.
