A recent court ruling may open the floodgates for Syrian refugees to get asylum in Belgium without ever setting foot in the country.
The Belgian Court of First Instance ruled the state must pay out 4,000 euros ($4,394) per day to a Syrian family until it’s granted asylum in the country.
The European Union’s regulations for asylum typically only apply when an applicant is already in the country. The family in question has never been to Belgium, which sets a dangerous precedent for the future, according to Secretary of State Theo Francken.
“It will open the door to thousands of people,” Francken said, according to Belgian broadcaster VRT. “If we allow people to come to Belgium with a visa to apply for asylum, the whole system will collapse.”
The family’s attorney, Mieke Van den Broeck, thinks Francken’s argument is flawed since it encourages human trafficking of migrants.
“The [only] way to go to another country legally, is via a visa,” said Mieke van den Broeck, the family’s lawyer, according to Politico. “By blocking the legal way, [Francken] creates opportunities for people smugglers.”
The Belgian state has appealed the decision and will not grant asylum for the family for the time being.
“It is all the more incredible since he seems to prefer paying penalties than help a family out of danger in Aleppo,” van den Broeck told The Brussels Times.
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