Asylum seekers in Belgium: options for a more equitable access to health care. A stakeholder consultation

Any migrant who arrives in Belgium and seeks asylum automatically receives access to healthcare for the duration of the asylum procedures. However, several Belgian and international reports have highlighted the fact that access to this care is not equal for all asylum seekers. KCE was asked to propose solutions to rectify this situation which is putting Belgium at odds with the international treaties it has signed.

The crux of the problem is that the funding of this healthcare is dependent on different bodies according to whether the asylum seeker is housed in a collective reception centre or in a local reception initiative (ILA/LOI) managed by a Public Welfare Centre (CPAS/OCMW). KCE recommends simplifying the organisation of access to the care by incorporating it all into a single overall budget. Who will manage this budget? There are several possibilities; KCE has analysed them, but the final decision rests with the public authority.