Belgium has received more asylum applications from Palestinians than any other country in the European Union this year.
Palestinians have been the largest group of asylum seekers in Belgium since March, according to figures from the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGVS).
In June, 301 Palestinians applied for asylum in Belgium for the first time. In March, that number was 417, marking the first time since the Gaza war that Palestinians topped the list.
From January to June this year, a total of 2,506 Palestinians sought protection in Belgium. In the entirety of 2023, there have been 3,249 applications.
Palestinians also constitute the largest group within the total of 17,853 asylum applications in Belgium. The CGVS reports that no other EU country has received more Palestinian asylum seekers than Belgium.
This is noteworthy because Belgium has surpassed Greece, which led in Palestinian asylum applications in 2023. Greece received 6,713 Palestinian applications last year, whereas in the first five months of this year, it registered 1,106 compared to Belgium’s 2,167.
It remains unclear why Belgium is particularly appealing to Palestinians. "We simply don’t know," said CGVS spokesperson Olivier Brasseur. Approximately 90% of the Palestinians originate from Gaza, which is notably difficult to leave.
"Moreover, around half of the Palestinian asylum seekers have already received international protection in another EU country," Brasseur added. This places additional strain on asylum services because individuals with status in another EU country are generally denied but must still be invited for an interview.
In the first half of this year, the protection rate for Palestinians in Belgium was 89%, a significant increase from the 58% acceptance rate in 2022. This rise is attributed to the devastating war in Gaza that followed the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.
Syrians (285) are the second-largest group of asylum seekers this year, followed by Eritreans (224). Eritrea is known for having one of the world’s most repressive regimes, according to Human Rights Watch, and Syria has been in civil war since 2011.
For the first time in a long period, Afghans (125) have fallen out of the top three. "The protection rate for Afghans has decreased. While many are still recognised as refugees, Belgium no longer grants subsidiary protection status to Afghans," explained Brasseur. This status is reserved for individuals from regions experiencing intense conflict.
Following the violent takeover by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2022, the situation there has cooled, according to the CGVS. "Specific profiles at risk of persecution, such as women or former soldiers who collaborated with the West, are still granted refugee status," Brasseur concluded.
