Belgium sees sharp drop in asylum applications: report

The winter months led to a sharp drop in the number of asylum applications in Belgium, Flemish newspaper De Morgen reported on Friday.

The winter cold is the main reason for this decline, the newspaper said, rather than the new registration method introduced by the Belgian immigration department, which Flemish refugee NGO Vluchtelingenwerk has described as a deterrent for asylum seekers.

According to De Morgen, in December 2015, the number of asylum applications stood at 5,238. In January 2016 this number almost halved to 2,842 and the decline continued in February at 1,523.

An immigration department spokesperson told the newspaper: "Winter is one of the main reasons for the decline. During this period there is always less migration because moving is difficult and also the sea is dangerous."

Belgian immigration authorities recently introduced a new registration procedure, with a cap of 60 people per day at asylum processing centers.

The Vluchtelingenwerk association claims the new procedure, which involves taking photographs and fingerprints of each applicant and issuing them with a serial number, is a means of deterring asylum seekers. Endit