Available places to be reserved for families in move intended to stop women and children ending up on streets
Belgium has said it will no longer provide shelter for single male asylum seekers in order to prevent women and children from being left on the streets this winter.
Shelters in Belgium have been overwhelmed by a high number of migrant arrivals compared to other EU member states, ministers have said.
“Our country has been doing more than its share for a long time,” said Nicole de Moor, the secretary of state for asylum and migration. “This is really not going to continue. This year there are 19,000 registered asylum seekers in Belgium compared to 1,500 in Portugal, a country with a similar population.”
The state will no longer provide access to free food or shelter while single men have their asylum applications processed, she said.