For two years Belgium has failed to provide asylum seekers with the shelter to which they are entitled. In his speech at at the UN General Assembly Prime Minister Alexander De Croo focused on curbing illegal migration but also creating legal pathways into Europe.
Addressing delegates in New York, De Croo first spoke of the importance of winning the fight against climate change – one of the key topics of the meeting. He took the opportunity to praise the most ambitious global leaders on climate policy and then linked the issue with so-called "illegal migration", stating that climate change is the single biggest disruptor of society today, causing young people to flee their home countries en masse.
"Illegal immigration deprives the South of their most important economic resource and their most vital potential: young people. At the same time, the host countries in Europe are faced with an influx of people they can barely handle," he said.
"Illegal migration denies the South a young promising generation and puts Europe under unbearable pressure. Belgium will make migration a priority during its presidency of the Council of the European Union."
'Uphill battle'
De Croo argued that the influx of migrants to Europe has become an uphill battle for many nations to accommodate migrants and integrate them into their societies. In Belgium, asylum seekers are entitled to a bed, bath and medical care, but thousands have had to sleep rough due to the lack of sheltered places made available.
The government has argued that this is the result of a large increase in arrivals but NGOs and migration experts counter that it is the consequence of political unwillingness and point to legal steps which would allow the state to better manage the shelter that is given.
The government has been urged to implement national measures such as the distribution plan, which would see every municipality take in a number of asylum seekers. Instead, Belgium is looking outwards for solutions, specifically through the signing deals with countries like Tunisia, where authorities have arrested sub-Saharan migrants and pushed them back into the desert, and the EU Migration Pact.
Tents in front of the Petit Château at the end of February 2023. Credit: Belga/ Hatim Kaghat
De Croo has largely remained silent on the issue but has defended the controversial decisions made both by the current State Secretary for Migration Nicole de Moor and her predecessor Sammy Mahdi. On Thursday he said that migration into Europe (and Belgium) is largely a question of luck and the determination of migrants, with their success more down to the power of human traffickers rather than robust national policies.
He argued that the current migration model needs to be rebuilt and that this will be the main focus of the Belgian EU presidency from January to June next year: "We hope to conclude a new European Migration Pact that ensures every EU country does its part, with fast-tracking and standardising procedures, working towards a common European readmission and return policies and last but not least, a pact to strengthen our common borders."
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He acknowledged that the new pact will only be part of the answer and that the root causes of migration – poverty and the lack of economic opportunities – should be tackled through "partnerships that build solid inclusive institutions to create equal rights and opportunities for all."
"Fixing migration also means creating legal channels to Europe through education and talent programmes to strengthen the societies in the home countries turning a lose-lose situation into a win-win situation."
De Croo said this would help "young Africans to pursue the African dream" instead of risking their lives at sea for the European or American dream.
