Belgium: Information for stateless people and those at risk of statelessness fleeing Ukraine
2. ROUTES TO INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION
Belgium offers three routes to protection for people fleeing Ukraine, including eligible stateless people:
refugee status, subsidiary protection, and temporary protection. Temporary protection is only available to
stateless people whose status had been recognised in Ukraine. According to trusted sources, less than six
stateless people have received temporary protection in Belgium, but this information cannot be confirmed
due to the lack of disaggregated official data on temporary protection grants. The routes to protection
available are summarised in the table below.
Refugee Status
Subsidiary Protection
Temporary Protection
What is it?
Protection under 1951
Convention Relating to the
Status of Refugees
Temporary protection for
eligible displaced persons
during mass influx established
by decision of the EU Council
Can stateless
and/or
undocumented
persons apply?
Stateless persons: yes
Undocumented persons:
yes, but cannot register
application immediately;
must follow specific
procedure (see below)
Protection for persons
who do not meet the
1951 Convention
definition but would be
subject to serious risk of
harm upon return to
their country of origin
Same as Refugee Status
Where to
apply?
Immigration Office within
eight days of arrival; border
police at the border
Collection of biometric
data; certificate of
application issued (‘Annex
26’); interview at Office of
General Commissioner for
Refugees and Stateless
Persons; outcome can be
refugee status, subsidiary
protection, or rejection;
right of appeal before the
Council for Alien Law
Litigation (CALL); special
procedure for applications
at the border and other
situations
Procedure &
rights
Special procedure for
undocumented persons:
formal notice to
Immigration Office to
Same as Refugee Status
Same as for Refugee
Status.
Stateless persons: yes, if
eligible (i.e., beneficiaries of
international protection or
equivalent national protection
in Ukraine (including those
who received a specific
document as a recognised
stateless person in Ukraine) &
family members, permanent
residence permit and unable
to return to country of origin)
Undocumented persons: yes
Registration Centre at Hall 8
(Brussels Expo, Heysel)
Book an appointment on
register-ukraine.be and attend
registration centre in person;
Temporary Protection
Certificate issued for adults
and minors; registration
(without appointment) at
municipality (‘commune’) of
place of residence; right to
work certificate (‘Annex 15’);
police visit to confirm
applicant’s address; letter
inviting request for residence
permit card at the commune