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The Immigration Office (IO), part of the Belgian Federal Public Service Home Affairs, is the government authority responsible for registering applications for international protection. It also examines whether Belgium is responsible for processing the application under the applicable European rules, including the Dublin system during the current transition towards the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
During your stay at the Arrival Centre, and sometimes afterwards, you will usually receive one or more appointments at the Immigration Office. Its headquarters are located at Boulevard Pacheco 44, 1000 Brussels, and are generally open from 09:30 to 16:00. Once your application has been registered, you will receive a document proving that you have applied for international protection (Annex 26).
The Immigration Office determines the language of your procedure (French or Dutch), which will be indicated on your Annex 26. The caseworker and the other asylum institutions will speak to you, also the letters written to you, any appeal from your side against a negative decision will be in this language.
The first short interview date will be written on you Annex 26 at the first appointment at Immigration Office. The date can be postponed several times. The Immigration Office may invite you sometimes several times to ask you questions. Immediately after registering your application for international protection, the Immigration Office will ask you to complete a questionnaire. You will then have a short interview with the assistance of an interpreter, if necessary.
During this interview, you will be asked about your identity, family situation, previous places of residence, your current address in Belgium, your journey to Belgium, and the reasons why you are seeking international protection. You should provide any documents you possess concerning your identity, nationality, travel route, previous stays in other countries, and the reasons supporting your application. If you do not have these documents, you may still apply for international protection. It is important not to destroy or discard personal documents, as this could negatively affect your case. At the end of the interview, the Immigration Office officer will read back your statements. You should carefully request corrections if anything is inaccurate before signing the document. You will receive a copy.
The interview generally lasts no longer than 90 minutes. The information collected will later help the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) prepare your personal interview. Lawyers are not allowed to attend the interview at IBZ. At the end of interview, you have right to choose a man or a woman as interviewer and interpreter in upcoming interview at the CGRS.
The Immigration Office (IBZ) will check whether Belgium is responsible for processing your application for international protection. If Belgium is responsible, the Immigration Office forwards your case to the CGRS.
Tips for LGBTQIA+ individuals:
At the Immigration Office, you will also complete a questionnaire concerning any special procedural needs. If you have experienced trauma related to your sexual orientation or gender identity, or if you have medical or psychological conditions that may affect your ability to participate in the procedure, you should mention this as early as possible. This concerns the reasons for which you may have difficulties to follow the asylum procedure. If necessary, the CGRS will take appropriate support measures.
For example, you may have physical problems, as a result of which it is hard for you to climb stairs. In that case, the interview will take place on the ground floor. If you have psychological problems, several interviews may be planned or additional breaks may be included. If, because of problems you had in your country, you feel more comfortable to be interviewed by a man or a woman, the CGRS will see to it that a male or female interpreter and protection officer will interview you.
The Dublin system determines which European State is responsible for examining an application for international protection. It currently applies within the Member States of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Although the European Union has adopted a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Dublin rules continue to apply during the ongoing transition period.
The EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Taking fingerprints enables the Immigration Office to check whether you have applied for international protection and/or have travelled to Belgium via any other European Union country. If this is the case, the Immigration Office can ask this EU country to take over your application for international protection. This is organised according to the so-called Dublin Regulation. If another European country is responsible, Belgium can transfer the applicant for international protection to this Member State. If the other European country is responsible for your application, the IO will ask that country to process your application.
If this is not your first application for international protection in Belgium, the Immigration Office will examine whether you present any new and relevant elements supporting your new application. At this stage, the applicant only makes a short statement and completes a standard questionnaire.
If you already have a protection status in another another participating Dublin State, Belgium assumes you are safe in that country. In that case, Belgium will only examine why you cannot return to that country.
Tips for LGBTQI+ individuals: