Belgium registers record numbers of unaccompanied minors in 2022

By Selen Temizer

BRUSSELS (AA) - Over 6,400 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were reportedly registered in Belgium last year, marking the highest number ever.

Belgian Immigration and Asylum Minister Nicole de Moor revealed in her speech at the Parliament that 6,434 unaccompanied minors were registered in 2022 with an increase of 30% compared to 2021, the local newspaper La Derniere Heure reported on Friday.

Noting that 2,200 of these children were aged between 11-15, De Moor said that this situation does not require the opening of new shelters.

There has been a long-standing crisis in Belgium about the lack of shelter for asylum seekers. As the refugee reception centers are full, these people, regardless of their age or gender, are forced to sleep on the streets.