Fixed contribution for asylum application "to put a stop to people taking legal action"
Those applying for a residence permit in Belgium will have to pay a fixed amount from now on. Asylum Secretary Sammy Mahdi wants to put a stop to the variation in amounts that applicants had to cough up, which led to court cases being initiated.
When a person applies for a residence permit in Belgium, he or she has to make a contribution to cover administrative costs. However, since a couple of years there was uncertainty about the exact cost.
Some asylum seekers took the case to court as they did not agree with the amount that had to be paid. Consultants KPMG have now calculated the real cost involving an application at the request of the Immigration Office (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken). A fixed amount will apply from now on, and this should stop legal action from being taken, confirms Mr Mehdi.
Between 2015 and 2020, applicants reclaimed a total of 1.7 million in contribution fees. Last year, a total of 13.6 million euros was paid by applicants to cover administrative costs. It has not been revealed how much exactly asylum seekers will have to pay in future.