Need legal advice?
Applying for international protection (asylum) in Belgium is sometimes complicated. You may ask for help from your social assistant, an association or a lawyer.
Who can help you?
- Your social worker: if you are staying in a reception centre, your social assistant can give you more information. He/she can put you in touch with a specialised association or a lawyer.
- a Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS/OCMW) also has fixed days (consultation hours) when you can ask for advice about your rights.
- Associations. You can ask for help from an association dedicated to asylum seekers and refugees. An employee will listen to you and can put you in touch with a lawyer specialised in aliens law.
- A lawyer. If you are applying for international protection, you can ask for help from a lawyer. For those with limited income, the lawyer is free (pro bono lawyer).
How to contact a lawyer?
There are 2 options:
- You contact a Legal Aid Office (BJB/BAJ) which will appoint a pro bono lawyer for you.
- You contact a pro bono lawyer yourself. The lawyer then seeks the agreement of the Legal Aid Office to help you.
What documents do you need?
You must have supporting documents:
- Identity documents, documents obtained from the Immigration Office
- Proof of asylum application, Annex 26, orange card, invitation letter from the CGRS, etc
Contact a lawyer yourself
• In Wallonia or Brussels > https://avocats.be/
- In Flanders or Brussels > www.advocaat.be
