The first step after reaching Belgium is to officially start the asylum application process. Everyone has the right to apply for international protection, no matter:

• If you have a visa or not,

• What your country of origin is, or

• Any other status.

This application process can start:

• At the border if a person is denied entry to Belgian territory

• From a detention center if a person is already detained for removal purposes.

• At the Immigration Office* in Brussels within 8 working days after entering Belgian territory.

*Typically, the Petit-Château building was responsible for registering international protection applications, but this process has temporarily relocated to the Immigration Office on Boulevard Pacheco in Brussels.

The Belgian authorities generally still accept asylum applications even if they are submitted after the 8-day period, however, it is still advisable to apply as soon as possible:

• Impact on the Process: Delays in applying can sometimes affect the credibility of your case, as the authorities might question why you did not apply sooner if you were genuinely in need of protection. It's important to provide a clear and honest explanation for the delay.

• Explanation Required: You may be required to explain the reasons for the delay in submitting your application. This explanation should be credible and reasonable, such as difficulties in understanding the procedure, lack of access to information, or personal circumstances.

If you are applying based on your sexual orientation and/or gender identity, you can bring the following documents with you 

• Letters, emails, social media posts and photographs that mention, for example, your (ex-)partners or relationships in general. This may add to your story when you talk about your sexual orientation.

• References from social workers/psychologists who have helped you and knew about your sexuality or gender identity in your home country, as well as after your arrival in Belgium

• References from doctors, e.g. hormonal therapy. These are usually considered to be more credible than social workers/psychologists. 

• Documents proving that you have faced persecution in your country of origin. This could be an arrest warrant, a newspaper article about a particular incident etc.

• Audio/visual content of you participating in socio-political events e.g. demonstrations, marches etc. Especially if these events have been centered around LGBTQI+ movement.

Again, it is important to emphasise that we cannot be sure that these documents will be considered as evidence. However, they may help your case by adding credibility to your story.

You can be accompanied to the building, and the person can also queue with you. However, only individuals starting their asylum process are expected to enter through the gates. While nobody asks each person entering if they are there to seek asylum, accompanying persons are not expected to enter with you, unless they are your family or partner who are also starting the asylum process.

When you arrive at the immigration office to launch your asylum application, there are generally two queues:

1. “Single men” line

2. “Family” line

The “single men” line is for CIS men, regardless of their sexual orientation, and is much longer than the family line.

Family line is for everybody else, including women, gay/lesbian/queer couples, trans folks etc. but is much shorter.

Tip: if you are a “single man” and identify as gay/bi/queer, and know any other person who is also about to register for the asylum application, you can go together to the immigration offices and stand in the family line together, but start your applications separately after you enter the building.

The Familiy and Single Men lines are separated but in the same space. You will see both of them once you arrive at the immigration offices, and you can join the one that is for you.

Standing in line can be an exhausting experience, due to the long waiting times, feeling unsafe or because of the weather conditions. 

Usually, a few NGO representatives are patrolling around, they are there to support and help you. You can identify them with easily as they will be wearing clothing with their logos on it. Sometimes they provide free beverages and baked goods for the people in the line. If you have uncertainties, questions or concerns, it’s advised to reach out to them, rather than to the security of the Immigration Offices.

The Immigration Office security or representatives will not provide you with any information about the procedure or the registration while waiting in the queue. If you want to ask questions, it’s advises to reach to the representatives of the NGO Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, they can provide you with brief info if they can.

However, if you have a visa issued by another Schengen country but Belgium, or if you arrived in Belgium by crossing another EU country, the Dublin Regulation* may apply (see below).

• Starting the asylum process at the Immigration Office is only available during working days. Therefore, Monday mornings are usually the busiest. 

• Arrive at least 1 hour before the office opens to ensure you can enter. This is especially important if you need to queue in the single men's line. Otherwise, you might need to return the next day and queue again.

• If people from your country/region are likely to be homo-transphobic, avoid speaking in your native language. If you face harassment or verbal abuse, reach out to the NGO representatives, they will assist you accordingly.

• Wear comfortable clothes. Especially in winter, wear warm clothes, and bring a blanket if you can.

• Since the line does not move, you can sit and occupy yourself with reading or another activity to help you relax. The gate opens at 08:30, and the first group of people in line will enter almost immediately.

• If you do not speak French, Dutch or English, try to have a Text or Voice Translator App installed on your phone.

However, the Dublin Regulation is not always applied. For example, if an asylum seeker has family members in Belgium. There are also certain humanitarian grounds or considerations, e.g. there are very few EU member states that have more favourable policies or more robust legal protection for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers than Belgium, and this is usually taken into account. For example, if you plan to come to Belgium via Poland, the Belgian immigration authorities cannot send you back to Poland because Poland has been in breach of EU commitments on LGBTQI+ and women's rights in recent years.

If the Dublin Regulation is applied, you will be notified about it after the first interview. Your lawyer will support you to object to the decision.

Overall, while the Dublin Regulation is the general rule for determining which EU Member State is responsible for processing an asylum claim, there are some exceptions and circumstances where it may not apply. We thought you needed to be informed about these nuances and that is your right to make the best, informed decisions for your asylum application and journey. Our suggestion is to aim for a direct route to Belgium without passing through other EU countries. If that's not an option, we recognise that this may require a certain level of privilege, try to minimise the time spent in other EU countries before arriving in Belgium.

Nobody can intimidate or harass you. If you feel unsafe, reach out to the Vlucht..

As a couple, no matter of your marital status, you belong to the Family Line. In case the guard of the immigration offices is not accepting of it, reach out to the representatives of Vlucht, they will be there.

Normally there will be minimal interaction with the security guard and you. They will open the gates and people queuing will just start entering. Usually, they don’t ask you questions. 

In the rare cases, when we have seen the security guards interacting with people in the queue, they have been rude and harsh. We would not advise reaching out to them. If you have questions or concerns, first try to identify the NGO representatives and reach out to them.

You will spend 5+ hours inside this building, until the process is finalised.

When you enter beyond the gate, you will go through a security/metal scanner door, will be asked about your the language* you speak and given a queue number on a printed paper.

*If they have an interpreter available in your native language, they will be present during the future interactions throughout the day. But this is not always the case, and you will need to use English or use a translator app, if you have access to a smart phone.

Then you will be placed in a waitting room with all the other persons who managed to enter the Immigration Offices that day. You will need to wait until your surname is called. Once called, the front-line worker will ask you several questions, incl. Your name; your identity document; if this is your first time to ask for asylum in Belgium; if you had asked asylum elsewhere before. Then your photo will be taken, as well as the fingerprints.

After this interaction, you will be moved to another waiting room, where you need to wait for a proof that you have requested asylum in Belgium - Annexe 26. 

If you entered the Immigration Office from the family line, it means that you will also be assigned to an Arrival Center to stay for a few nights, before you wll be transferred to a Reception Center. You will know which Arrival Center you will be spending the night when you will receive the Annexe 26. With the address of the arrival center, you should also receive a public transportation ticket to reach the premises.

If you entered the Immigration Office from the family line, unfortunately the Belgian government is breaching your right to accommodation, and will not provide you with a space in the arrival center. In case the Immigration Offices give you the address of the arrival center, it’s always worth trying to reach the center and see if they will admit you (as a “single man”). If you are left on the streets, here is a list of places that might support you in the first few days (we understand how difficult this situation is and we hope you can get through this, text us, we might be able to host you for a few days. Good luck!):

• Food

• Places to ask for sleeping place

• Shower
  It is important to know that you can ask for an interpreter if you do not understand the language that is spoken and you are not obliged to sign a document when you do not understand the content of it.

When you register your application, they need to confirm your identity. Try to bring any proof of identity you have with you.

Once the registration process is finished, you will receive a one-page document - Annex 26. This is proof that you have requested asylum in Belgium. On Annex 26, you will also find the date of your first interview at the Immigration Office.

The language of Annex 26 (French or Dutch) is also the language in which the asylum application will be processed.

The Immigration Office will decide whether your asylum procedure will be in Dutch or French. This includes the language in which the caseworker and the other asylum institutions will speak to you, the letters you will receive and any appeal. If you speak any of these languages, it is advised to mention it during the registration process.

There will be an interpreter of your native language during the interviews of the asylum application. You can also ask your lawyer for interpreting services when meeting with them.Queer people continue to face harassment and discrimination on a daily basis in Belgium too. However, there are many LGBTQ+ collectives and organisations that provide support services, as well as actively promote a sense of community by proposing different initiatives. It may take some time before you feel comfortable in Belgium and fully understand where you prefer to socialise. For more info, refer to the question "What are the queer safe(r) places in Belgium?" under the section Navigating life in Brussels.

Next morning to petit chateau.

Info about you. The reason for asylum. Explanation of the process briefly.

The third step is the medical examination where they ask you if you have any medical conditions, and vaccinations also take place.  la diphtérie, le tétanos et la polio

After that they give you a document that is proof of your application, this document is called an Annex 26, and send you to a reception center if you have the right to this. 

They will ask if you have family members in Belgium to be able to send you to a centre close to them but since we have so little places left it is not always possible to take this into account.

• https://www.arcenciel-international.be/fr/accueil

AIR (Arc-en-Ciel International Rainbow) is a platform providing information and tools in the field of LGBTQIA+ migration. It provides a good overview of the asylum process, as well as about social integration in the country. The information is aimed specifically at LGBTQI+ international protection seekers and refugees in Belgium. 

• https://www.cire.be/outil-pedagogique/accueil-faq/

CIRÉ works on the issues relating to the reception of asylum seekers in Belgium. They have also developed a FAQ page to provide information and answer questions frequently asked to CIRÉ about the reception of asylum seekers 

Below are the resources provided from the migration institutions. Please, mind that they might not be tot:

• https://www.fedasil.be/en/asylum-belgium/asylum-procedure

General overview of the asylum procedure in Belgium. Updated on august 2022.

• https://www.asyluminbelgium.be/language_selection_page?destination=/node/30 

Explanatory videos about asylum procedure in Belgium by CGRA.

• https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/common-european-asylum-system_en

Information about the common European asylum system and legislation.