More foreigners granted asylum in 2007

7January 2008 – Last year some 2,122 requests for asylum were approved in Belgium. This is more than in 2006. The increase in the number people granted asylum is striking since there were fewer submitted requests for asylum.
The number of asylum seekers dropped last year. A total of 11,115 foreigners submitted asylum requests which is almost 500 fewer than in 2006. 2,122 asylum seekers were granted asylum- about 1 in 5. The increase in approved asylum requests was partly due to a backlog that was finally processed.

What’s more, more and more asylum seekers come from countries where serious problems and conflicts are raging.

Most of the recognised asylum seekers are from Chechnya (20%), followed by Rwanda, Iraq, Kosovo and Congo.

Almost 13% of the total number of asylum requests came from Chechnya last year. Belgium is one of the most popular destinations for Chechnya’s, together with Austria, Poland and Sweden.

Drop in number of requests from Congolese

Striking is the drop in the number of asylum requests from Congolese in 2007. According to the Federal Government department of Foreign Affairs, this is partly due to a campaign by the government of Congo to dissuade people from going to Belgium.

Still, Congo is among the top 5 countries that ask for asylum here together with Russia, Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since 2000 there has been a downward trend in the number of asylum seekers in Belgium. In 2000 we had 42,691 requests for asylum.