The Office of the General Commission for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) is recruiting staff to deal with the increasing backlog of asylum cases. But new figures reveal that staff turnover remains high.
The backlog consists of some 12,250 cases from October which, combined with how long it takes to process cases, has been an ongoing problem for the CGRS.
State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor (CD&V) acknowledged the problem. "If decisions take too long, people spend a very long time in Fedasil reception. As a result, there is a shortage of reception places," she said in De Morgen. Many asylum seekers have recently had to spend the night on the streets.
Staff shortage
In October, an audit of the migration and asylum services showed that staff shortages at the CGRS were one of the reasons for the backlog.
Yet the CGRS is actively trying to recruit new staff according to figures which Federal MP Eva Platteau (Groen) requested from De Moor. Between September 2021 and November 2022, the office hired 54 new officers. In November, it employed 290 officers. These employees prepare the cases of people who have applied for asylum, conduct interviews and help make a decision.
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But in that same period, 34 officers left, 25 of them voluntarily. Another 14 are reported to be unable to work.
According to the audit, there are several reasons for the long recruitment process and high turnover. First, the government's selection agency, Selor, is not adapted to the content of this specific role. Second, the job itself is emotionally demanding.
De Moor's cabinet stressed that since July there have been procedures in place to avoid potential candidates disappearing to other jobs. The measure was meant to expire in December but has been extended.
