4 new closed repatriation centres OKed
The federal government has earmarked 100 million euros for the creation of four new closed repatriation centres. The centres will be used to house people who don’t qualify for asylum ahead of their forced repatriation. New centres are planned in Jabbeke (West Flanders), Zandvliet (Antwerp), Jumet (Charleroi) and Steenokkerzeel (Flemish Brabant). Once complete the number of places in closed repatriation centres will have doubled.
The creation of the new centres forms part of the government’s strategic plan to speed up the repatriation of failed asylum seekers and other undocumented people. Present capacity is 635. This will now rise to 1,145.
The Steenokkerzeel centre that should be ready by 2024 will be used to accommodate people before they take their flight at Brussels Airport. The Steenokkerzeel centre is controversial. The other centres should be up and running by 2027 at the latest.
Each year some 24,000 people are ordered to leave the country for a first time. Only a quarter of this number follow this instruction. Repatriation efforts mainly focus on people who don’t have the right paperwork to stay here and form a disruption to public order or have committed criminal acts.
The number of open residences, where families with children can stay head of their repatriation, is being increased from 28 to 54.