Belgium

In 2024, nearly 40,000 people applied for international protection in Belgium—the highest number since 2015. However, owing to the government’s failure to provide everyone with the accommodation and other services they were entitled to, thousands have ended up sleeping on the streets, in car parks, or in camps for months. Many of them were extremely vulnerable, having fled conflict or endured torture or persecution because of their political views or sexual orientation.

Many undocumented migrants also struggle to access housing and health care, making them susceptible to illness and mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Our mobile teams offered medical consultations and psychological support to asylum seekers, migrants and foreign unaccompanied minors living in precarious conditions and centers managed by several partner organizations across Brussels. We also conducted health promotion sessions, stepped up infection prevention and control activities, and administered vaccines to children.

Following seven years of work at the humanitarian hub, we handed over our activities there to Médecins du Monde. This allowed us to focus on helping asylum seekers and migrants in harder-to-reach locations in Brussels and across Belgium, including along the border with France.