The Russian invasion of Ukraine over the past three years has led to over 90,000 refugees seeking asylum in Belgium.
In the first year of the conflict, many Ukrainians fled to Belgium, and over 1,000 people still arrive every month seeking refuge.
The European Union quickly decided to offer temporary protection to Ukrainians in member states, bypassing the usual asylum procedures, and providing immediate residency and access to housing, social assistance, healthcare, the job market, and education.
Originally intended to last at least a year, this protection has now been extended until 4 March 2026.
According to the Immigration Office, from March 2022 to January 2025, a total of 93,343 people have received temporary protection status in Belgium. This mainly includes Ukrainian nationals, but foreign residents of Ukraine can also apply.
In March 2022 alone, 26,507 people sought protection in Belgium, and this number grew to 63,356 by the end of that year. In 2023 and 2024, 15,626 and 13,277 Ukrainians respectively obtained temporary protection. Last month, 1,084 individuals received the status.
A symbolic action led Ukrainian refugees with thousands of teddy bears and toys representing the thousands of children abducted following the war in Ukraine, at the Rond-point Schuman, in Brussels, Thursday 23 February 2023. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Women comprise 59% of Ukrainians granted temporary protection, and nearly a third are minors. Statistics show that by 24 December 2024, a total of 1,433 unaccompanied minors, including 234 under the age of twelve, had obtained temporary protection status.
The exact number of Ukrainians currently in Belgium is uncertain. However, out of the more than 93,000 who received temporary protection, 66,619 are registered in a Belgian municipality, according to the national registry.
It is believed that some never registered with a municipality post-protection, and 17,374 have been removed from the register due to various reasons including departure from Belgium, death, or failure to reside at the stated address.
Of the 13,277 Ukrainians who registered in Belgium last year, nearly 15% required housing assistance. A total of 1,953 individuals were referred to cities and municipalities across Belgium.
The Red Cross provides 250 emergency shelter spots at the Ariane Centre in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert for refugees awaiting further accommodation.
