Belgium Refuses to Pay Court-Ordered Compensation Despite 10,000 Asylum Rulings
Brussels, 13 April 2026
Belgium’s asylum minister has declared she will not pay €32,000 in compensation ordered by the European Court of Human Rights for inadequate treatment of four asylum seekers. Despite being condemned over 10,000 times since 2021 for failing asylum obligations, Minister Van Bossuyt maintains every euro is needed for current accommodation rather than penalties. The April 2026 ruling found Belgium guilty of ‘inhumane and degrading treatment’ after asylum seekers from Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, and China were left sleeping on Brussels streets without basic assistance. This defiant stance represents a calculated political strategy by the N-VA party to demonstrate strict migration policies, even at the expense of legal compliance and human rights obligations.
European Court Delivers Damning Verdict on Street Homelessness
The European Court of Human Rights delivered its ruling on 6 April 2026, concluding that Belgium’s treatment of four asylum seekers constituted violations of both Article 3 (prohibition of degrading treatment) and Article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights [1][2]. The court found that Belgian authorities “must be held responsible for the conditions in which the applicants found themselves for months, including during the winter, living on the streets, without resources, without access to sanitation, having no means of meeting their basic needs and in constant fear for their safety” [2]. The four men, who arrived from Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, and China in 2022, were ordered to receive compensation ranging from just over £5,000 to more than £12,000 each [2]. Despite securing binding orders from the Brussels Labour Court instructing the government to provide housing and material assistance, the asylum seekers remained without adequate support throughout 2022 and 2023 [2].
Minister’s Defiant Response Sparks Legal Crisis
Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) stated on 5 April 2026 that she has no intention of paying the court-ordered compensation [1]. Her position, articulated in Dutch, translates to: “As minister, I need every euro to provide that accommodation. Given the budgetary context, paying out fines means closing other reception places where people have a need today. We work with taxpayers’ money and we can only spend it once” [1]. This strategy mirrors that of her predecessor, former State Secretary Nicole de Moor (cd&v), who also refused to pay compensation, resulting in only coffee machines and chairs being confiscated by authorities [1]. Van Bossuyt’s cabinet has implemented a deliberate approach of assigning every euro in the budget, making it impossible to seize funds for penalties without affecting state operations [1].
Political Support and Campaign Rhetoric Intensify
The minister’s stance has received vocal backing from prominent N-VA figures, with Defence Minister Theo Francken declaring: “The open borders lobby goes to the extreme to achieve its goals. Keep saying no, Anneleen Van Bossuyt. The people massively support you” [1]. N-VA Chamber group leader Axel Ronse added his support, stating: “Go go go Anneleen Van Bossuyt, don’t let yourself be intimidated by those intimidations and malicious insinuations” [1]. This political positioning represents a calculated strategy by the N-VA to demonstrate strict migration policies, even when it means pushing the boundaries of legal compliance [1]. Theo Francken previously raised dramatic scenarios, asking: “Imagine that the Palace of Fine Arts has to sell a Rubens to give the money to asylum seekers. Where are we going?” [1].
Systemic Crisis Reveals Broader European Challenges
Belgium’s accommodation crisis extends far beyond this specific case, with approximately 3,000 asylum seekers living on the streets at the beginning of 2026 whilst awaiting accommodation [2]. In 2025, Fedasil processed approximately 25,000 new asylum applications whilst 26,600 individuals departed the reception network, yet Belgium granted international protection to less than a third of all asylum applicants—a significant decrease from nearly 50 per cent the previous year [2]. The severity of the situation prompted 500 Fedasil staff members to sign an open letter on 2 April 2026, criticising Minister Van Bossuyt’s approach [2]. Pieter Spinnewijn, director-general of Fedasil, noted that the “occupancy rate in our reception centers remains high” and that “every day, our teams must rack their brains to find enough places for the newcomers” [2]. Legal experts like Laura Adriaensens from Progress Lawyers emphasised that such court rulings “only happen in very serious situations. This is a recognition for thousands of people who are in the same situation” [1], whilst Joost Depotter of Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen described Van Bossuyt’s approach as “wraakroepend” (crying for vengeance) because it prevents individuals from enforcing their rights [1].