Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The influx of asylum seekers into Belgium continues unabated and at a high level. This is evident from the latest figures from the Immigration Office.
In July, a total of 2,972 asylum applications were registered. In total, the number for the first seven months of this year is already 18,311. And since the “migration season” has begun in the meantime, the flow of refugees does not seem to decrease in the coming months, we are again in danger of easily exceeding 30,000 asylum applications this year. year,” according to a statement from the head of the Vlaams Belang party group in parliament, Barbara Bass.
And with just under 3,000 applications, the number of asylum applications in July is roughly the same as last year. . "We're still sinking," Bass says. "However you look at it: there is absolutely no question of a structural decline in the number of asylum applications." And "we can see the consequences of a lack of structural measures in the numbers."
According to MP Bass, the numbers should come as no surprise. "Almost every structural measure to contain inflow and increase outflow has failed so far," she says. “We can see the result of this in the numbers. The EU Pact on Migration and the Migration Agreement with Tunisia certainly had no effect. On the contrary, the Migration Pact will ensure an increase in the rate of asylum.”
Through the statement, the far-right Vlaams Belang party reiterated its demand for drastic measures to be taken immediately. But at the same time, the party does not expect much from Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V) and the federal government. "We immediately want a tightening of family reunification and a firm return policy," Bass said. “If it is possible, it is very important to introduce a new asylum model at the European level to combat illegal immigration. This can only be done through ‘Fortify Europe’, whereby we take back full control of Europe’s external borders.”