More and more Palestinians who have already obtained refugee status in another Member State of the European Union are arriving in Belgium, the General Commission for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA) confirmed on Friday after the VRT published the information. This phenomenon, called secondary migration, generally leads to a refusal of protection in Belgium.
According to VRT, around 340 Palestinians arrive in Belgium every month. Those who have obtained refugee status in another EU country and who nevertheless decide to go to Belgium are invited to an interview with the CGRS, which is the only organization competent to examine an application for international protection.
As a general rule, applicants benefiting from protection status elsewhere in Europe are refused an asylum application in Belgium by the CGRS. “It is therefore not because someone flees their country and France recognizes their refugee status that Belgium is obliged to follow this decision,” indicates Olivier Brasseur, spokesperson for the CGRS. “The CGRS examines the files on a case-by-case basis and verifies whether the protection enjoyed by the person in this European country is sufficiently effective. If this is not the case, it re-examines the risk relating to return to the country of origin. “
In total, 88% of Palestinians seeking asylum in Belgium come from Gaza. In view of the current situation in the Middle East, around 95% of them obtain asylum on Belgian territory when they apply for the first time or the country where they previously obtained protection is not not considered sufficiently safe. However, Palestinians already benefiting from protection elsewhere in Europe are generally refused their request for asylum in Belgium.
