Meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday, 10 February, MEPs are expected to endorse two inter-linked regulations defining ‘safe countries of origin’ and ‘safe third countries.’ The laws – already provisionally agreed with the Council – would allow member states to deny or redirect many asylum applications at an early stage.
For Belgium, which processed more than 39,000 international-protection claims last year, the measures could significantly change case-management practice. Applications from nationals of the 27-country ‘safe-origin’ list (including India, Morocco and Tunisia) could be channelled into accelerated 10-day procedures, while the ‘safe third country’ concept would permit transfers to non-EU states through which migrants transited.
![European Parliament to vote this week on ‘safe country’ rules that could reshape asylum processing in Belgium]()
Companies and individuals seeking clarity on how the forthcoming accelerated procedures might affect travel or relocation plans can obtain up-to-date guidance through VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform tracks regulatory changes in real time and facilitates the preparation of visa and residence-related documentation, helping applicants and employers navigate tighter deadlines and evolving admissibility rules.
Supporters in Belgium’s caretaker government argue the overhaul will ease reception-centre overcrowding and reduce legal backlogs. NGOs such as Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen counter that the reforms risk breaching the right to a fair hearing and may push people into unsafe conditions elsewhere. The Belgian Council for Refugees warns that rapid assessments will require extra staffing and interpreter capacity at the Immigration Office (CGVS/CGRA) – resources that are already stretched.
If adopted this week, member states must transpose the rules by June 2026, but Belgian officials told EUobserver they aim to pilot the accelerated tracks before year-end. Multinationals relocating staff under humanitarian or dependent-visa categories should monitor implementation closely: stricter admissibility checks and new transfer possibilities could change timelines and legal strategies for at-risk employees and their families.
For Belgium, which processed more than 39,000 international-protection claims last year, the measures could significantly change case-management practice. Applications from nationals of the 27-country ‘safe-origin’ list (including India, Morocco and Tunisia) could be channelled into accelerated 10-day procedures, while the ‘safe third country’ concept would permit transfers to non-EU states through which migrants transited.
Companies and individuals seeking clarity on how the forthcoming accelerated procedures might affect travel or relocation plans can obtain up-to-date guidance through VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform tracks regulatory changes in real time and facilitates the preparation of visa and residence-related documentation, helping applicants and employers navigate tighter deadlines and evolving admissibility rules.
Supporters in Belgium’s caretaker government argue the overhaul will ease reception-centre overcrowding and reduce legal backlogs. NGOs such as Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen counter that the reforms risk breaching the right to a fair hearing and may push people into unsafe conditions elsewhere. The Belgian Council for Refugees warns that rapid assessments will require extra staffing and interpreter capacity at the Immigration Office (CGVS/CGRA) – resources that are already stretched.
If adopted this week, member states must transpose the rules by June 2026, but Belgian officials told EUobserver they aim to pilot the accelerated tracks before year-end. Multinationals relocating staff under humanitarian or dependent-visa categories should monitor implementation closely: stricter admissibility checks and new transfer possibilities could change timelines and legal strategies for at-risk employees and their families.
