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Applicants for international protection can receive a negative response to their application for international protection. If, after an appeal, the response is still negative, the foreign national has exhausted the procedure and must leave Belgian territory.

A process to check the origin of a document. Legalisation is the official confirmation that the signature  and the stamp on the document are genuine.
Legalisation relates to the form of the document, but does not confirm that its content is correct. 

LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual. The + refers to all other gender identities and sexual orientations not yet described.

A marriage between two persons in which at least one person has not freely and fully consented to the marriage. In other words, a marriage under physical and moral coercion. 

Unaccompanied foreign minor (UFM). Someone under the age of 18 who arrives in Belgium without parents or (legal) guardian.

A permit that a person must have in order to live in a country of which the person is not a citizen. Most countries impose legal restrictions on foreign nationals who want to settle or work in their country.

If someone commits a crime in Belgium, they are prosecuted. This means that the person is questioned by the police and must appear before the courts. They receive a fine or a punishment.

Going (temporarily) into hiding. The Immigration Office regards various actions as a form of 'absconding'.

During the merits phase, the substance of your application is examined (on its merits). The factual elements of your application are examined.

A doctor who does not work in the hospital and who does not specialise in any particular branch of medicine. A general practitioner is the first point of contact if you are ill or have a medical problem.