The Belgian secretary of state for asylum and migration Theo Francken (N-VA) wants the asylum policy to evolve towards a system with "zero asylum seekers in Brussels". "We need to replace the current model, which is based on requests from asylum seekers after they have entered the territory illegally, by the Australian model, in which we allow only limited legal immigration,” he wrote Saturday on Facebook.
Like Australia, Belgium should choose itself those who enter its territory and this "at a rate that takes into account the social, economic and cultural capabilities of our country," he argues.
It could then give priority to certain minorities, "like Christians from the Middle East".
Theo Francken adds that more humanitarian aid should be provided to conflict zones. The reason why Belgium has received so many refugees in recent years is primarily because there have "never been so many REAL refugees in the world fleeing war", he writes.
His message is addressed to those who consider Belgian asylum policy too lax. Associations providing assistance to asylum seekers and the French-speaking political opposition are rather of the opposite opinion.
The Brussels Times
