Belgium will use return hubs for rejected asylum seekers but will not send minors to them, Prime Minister Bart De Wever told parliament on Wednesday.
Return hubs are centres outside the European Union to which rejected asylum seekers can be sent. In June, EU member states and the European Parliament reached an agreement establishing the legal basis for creating such centres.
Five European countries want to strike a deal with a non-EU country on the hubs by the start of next year. Within Belgium’s federal government, however, the policy has caused disagreement.
Related News
- Why a record number of people became Belgian in 2025
- Why so many Brussels residents are moving to the Flemish periphery
- Home from home: How does the EU bubble really feel about Belgium?
Responding to questions from François De Smet of DéFI and Sandro Di Nunzio of Anders, De Wever acknowledged that coalition partners had raised concerns about placing minors in the hubs.
“There is a tension there, and we have agreed that we will not do that,” De Wever said. “We do want hubs, but we are not going to send minors there.”
He said the government welcomed the legal framework for setting up return hubs, but stressed that they must be implemented “with the fullest respect for human rights”.
