Stay or departure

If the CGRS or the Council for alien law litigation takes a positive decision, the asylum applicant will be granted permission to stay in Belgium.

• If the applicant is granted refugee status, he/she will be permitted to stay for an unlimited period of time.
• If the applicant is granted subsidiary protection status, he/she will be permitted to stay for a limited period of time.

Staying in Belgium as a recognised refuge or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection entails many rights (regarding travel, employment etc.) but also a series obligations.

If the asylumapplication is refused definitively, the applicant will have to leave Belgian soil. He/She is responsible for his departure. If he/she wishes to receive help with his/her return, he/she can contact the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM gives information on the possibilities of financial aid and other forms of aid. The IOM also provides a plane ticket and guarantees that the country of origin will not be informed about the reasons of the applicant’s presence in Belgium.

If a failed asylum applicant does not leave Belgium within the prescribed delay, he/she may be removed forcibly.