Thanks to strengthened cooperation with Morocco, 203 people were returned to their country of origin, compared to 43 the previous year. This significant increase is the result of a firmer migration policy led by Belgium, which aims to increase the number of voluntary and forced returns of people who have received an order to leave the territory.
Despite this increase, the number of effective returns remains low compared to the 23,873 orders to leave the territory issued in 2023. The difficulties encountered by the authorities in implementing these orders are numerous: legal recourse, lack of cooperation from the people concerned, limited places in detention centers and administrative complexity.
To read: France, European champion of expulsions of Moroccans
To facilitate returns, Nicole de Moor recalls having participated in a government mission to Rabat last April, where an agreement was concluded with Morocco for the repatriation of its citizens in an irregular situation. This collaboration, which is part of a broader diplomatic context, has made it possible to quadruple the number of referrals.
The Moroccan example could serve as a model for other countries, even if each situation requires a specific approach. Belgium has also strengthened its cooperation with Albania, Georgia and Moldova to increase the number of returns.
Belgium
