Belgium continues to be both a destination and a transit country within Europe. In 2025, around 34,400 people applied for international protection in Belgium, a 14 per cent decrease compared with 2024.* Despite this reduction, reception conditions remained critically overstretched. Persistent shortages in accommodation and support services left thousands of asylum seekers without shelter, including victims and survivors of conflict, persecution, and torture. Undocumented migrants and people excluded from reception face serious barriers to housing and healthcare, increasing their risk of illness and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Throughout the year, our teams in Brussels provided medical consultations and psychological care, including health promotion activities, and strengthened infection prevention and control measures.

In addition, we consolidated our network of medical volunteers providing second medical opinions for people held in administrative detention centres across the country, helping to document health needs and protection concerns.

As Belgium further tightened its migration policies and anti-migrant narratives intensified, MSF scaled up advocacy efforts, calling for effective access to healthcare for all, adequate reception conditions, and full respect for national, European Union, and international legal obligations, including for people in administrative detention.

 *Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons: https://www.cgrs.be/en/news/asylum-statistics-overview-2025