Belgian law provides for material assistance to refugees from Ukraine and other non-EU countries. The amount of the benefit depends on the applicant’s status, family composition and other additional conditions. The procedure for receiving assistance is the same for all regions of the country, and does not depend on the chosen city or municipality. In this article, we will help you in obtaining benefits in Belgium, we will describe the procedure for issuing. Additional factors that are not written about in official sources of information will be taken into account.
Benefits in Belgium for refugees
The condition for receiving payments is registration of official refugee status. This can be done at the border crossing point of the country (international airports, motorways), or at the place of arrival in the Belgian region. At the first stage, you will be provided with primary assistance – accommodation in a refugee camp or in another place of residence, food, and small amounts of money are possible. However, this is not a permanent allowance for Belgium, it will be accrued only after registration of official status.
The amount of financial assistance depending on the conditions:
- If a person lives by himself, he will receive 1100 Euros every month.
- For families, a minimum of 750 Euros is required for each adult, the amount may vary upwards.
- For each minor child, assistance is provided from 100 to 200 Euros.
- The total allowance cannot exceed 1560 Euro for 2 adults and 2 minor children.
The amount of assistance is determined after consideration of documents, certificates and extracts. They are served in English or one of the state languages. You can ask for the help of translators, some of the Belgian volunteers do this work for free. It is important that the documents are not overdue, you also need to check that they are filled out correctly.
Tip: the Belgian child allowance provides for additional assistance – free clothing, food, the opportunity to enroll in courses.
Where to apply
At the first stage, you need to draw up documents for obtaining refugee status. This can be done at the representatives of the Red Cross, who are located at railway stations, international airports and bus stations in border cities. If you come to Brussels, it is recommended to go to 40 Place Victor Horta, 1060 Bruxelles. The Registration Center for Refugees operates here, where they will explain the registration procedure, talk about the amount of benefits in Belgium for citizens of Ukraine or other countries that are not members of the European Union.
A passport is enough to enter the country. If you have minor children with you, they must also be with documents. For pets, an international veterinary certificate is required.
Submission of documents for granting refugee status is done at OCMW / CPAS – one of the centers of social security. Their addresses can be found on the official website of the state organization or from local volunteers. It is important that you have all the documents for granting temporary asylum and receiving benefits in Belgium, in accordance with the current migration legislation.
Tip: You can get preliminary information about the registration procedure, ask for advice, financial assistance or a place for temporary accommodation from Belgian volunteer organizations.
Assistance procedure
So, you have arrived in Belgium at the airport, train station or the nearest border checkpoint. At the first stage, the border control checks your documents, luggage, finds out about the reason for the trip. You must immediately say that you are refugees, you need a registration procedure. For travel to other regions or cities in Belgium, you will be issued tickets for free travel on SNCB trains.
Then you need to act according to the following scheme.
- Contact the nearest OCMW or CPAS center. An interpreter will be provided to fill out the questionnaires.
- A place for temporary accommodation will be provided, meals will be organized. If you or someone in your family needs medical attention, a doctor’s referral will be issued.
- After checking the documents, the refugees are issued Annexe 15 or Bijlage 15 with the right to live and work in category A.
- The amount of the allowance is determined, the amount of which depends on your current status, family composition.
If you do not agree with the amount of financial assistance, the decision can be challenged in court. However, for this it is necessary to involve a lawyer, to make notarized translations of all documents, extracts and references. The appeal process can take several months.
To receive benefits in Belgium, an account will be opened for you at a local bank. Money will be issued every month, before the start of the reporting period. They can be spent on food. Accommodation, additional education. Expenditure checks are possible, we recommend keeping receipts from expensive purchases.
Important: the allowance provides for the possibility of official registration for work. But you need to notify OCMW or CPAS about this, we will provide an employment contract, a contract. Possible reduction of material assistance from the state.
Additional Information
Refugees in the country can rent housing on their own or seek help from a social welfare center. In the latter case, you will first be placed in a refugee camp, then they will select housing in accordance with social requirements. The minimum size of living space, the location of the house or apartment, living conditions are calculated. It is possible to withhold part of the rent from the allowance, in Belgium this is a standard procedure.
After receiving refugee status, you cannot leave the country for no more than 28 days within 1 year. About every possible trip outside the state, you need to warn the social worker, notify him of a timely return.
All refugees in the country must comply with the rules of residence, work and education. In case of violation, it is possible to review the amount of benefits in Belgium, cancel the status.
