Since Belgium made it mandatory for working asylum seekers in a reception centre to pay a contribution for their shelter on 1 July, about 1,200 asylum seekers have done so, said State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V).
Since July, working asylum seekers have had to pay a contribution to the reception centre where they are staying. Every month, they have to declare their income to the government agency responsible for the reception of asylum seekers, Fedasil.
The amount they have to pay depends on their net salary. An asylum seeker who earns €900 net per month pays €222.25. Someone who earns €1,500 net contributes €482.24.
The contributions are checked every quarter and those who have not declared their income will have to pay a higher contribution, which can amount to up to 50% of their income. If asylum seekers refuse to pay, reception centres can decide to limit services for them or exclude them from the reception centre as a last resort.
Political and legal hurdles
In July and August, 1,200 asylum seekers paid a contribution, worth half a million euros – which is "promising," said De Moor. "People gain experience by working. It also helps them to integrate. At the same time, they also contribute to the costs of the reception in this way."
This requirement was already laid down in a Royal Decree in 2011, but faced several political and legal hurdles that have now been resolved.
In the run-up to the new scheme, asylum seekers were extensively informed, said De Moor. Posters were distributed in the reception centres, among other things. The Fedasil website also has a simulator so that asylum seekers can estimate how much they will have to contribute.
As a result of the scheme, however, some asylum seekers decided to leave the asylum centres. According to De Moor, they have "taken advantage of the new arrangement to rent something" instead of staying in the reception centre, where they often have to share rooms with others.
In the summer months, slightly more people than usual left the reception centre. In July, 2,887 people left the asylum reception centre, in August that was 2,376. Normally, the monthly outflow is fewer than 2,000 people. "This also frees up places in the reception centres, which are overcrowded," said De Moor.
It is not clear how many asylum seekers are currently working. A spokesperson for De Moor referred to a figure from 2022, when around 10,000 asylum seekers had a job throughout the year.
