Belgian court overturns asylum agency's refusal to accommodate single men

An earlier adopted change to Belgium's migration regulations, which prioritized families with children over single male asylum seekers regarding the provision of accommodation, has been suspended by the Council of State following widespread criticism.

As reported by the Morning Star, the initial change to legislation was made by the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor who argued that the move was aimed at avoiding asylum-seeking children ending up on the streets this winter.

She announced in August that the Belgian federal agency responsible for providing accommodation to asylum seekers (Fedasil) would temporarily halt this for single-male asylum seekers to prioritise families.

This decision was heavily criticized by Belgian politicians and the EU, with the European Commission even having indicated that it would contact Belgian authorities about the proposal.

Last week multiple associations lodged an urgent appeal with the Council of State against the change, which was later eventually overruled by the Council of State, ruling that it was unlawful and violated asylum seekers’ right to reception.

Secretary de Moor stands behind her decision and commented on the overruling, saying "[the measure] by the Council of State does not ensure that we suddenly have room for everyone”, adding, that she wouldn’t change her policy and give “absolute priority to families and children”.